Justin Caiazzo, a 29-year-old student from Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey, has filed a lawsuit against Passaic County Community College, business professor Gladys Harris, and dean Peter Hynes after he was allegedly branded a “racist” and forced to drop an online course because a “Trump 2020” flag hung on his bedroom wall during a remote class. The Sept. 23 complaint filed in New Jersey Superior Court states that the confrontation violated Caiazzo’s First Amendment rights during a July 2021 online business statistics session, according to nypost.com.
Classroom Interruption and Zoom Expulsion
The remote class came to an abrupt halt when Harris noticed the pro-Trump banner in Caiazzo’s background and demanded he immediately remove it from the wall, court papers show. Caiazzo stated he had not raised any political topics during the lesson and asked what was wrong with the flag.
The fallout extended into the next class session, where Harris allegedly permitted other students to speak over Caiazzo while refusing to let him participate. When Caiazzo asked Harris after that session about tutoring options or a chance to discuss the tense exchange, she curtly told him to get help on “tutor.com,” the court documents claim.
Internal Investigation and College Response
Seeking to protect his education, Caiazzo escalated the dispute to other school officials, including dean Peter Hynes. College administrators launched an internal probe, but ultimately sided with Harris. Court papers state that the college blamed Caiazzo, determined his “political expression was disfavored,” and offered no meaningful relief such as a class transfer or a “no credit” grade option.
Faced with what he regarded as hostile and unconstitutional conditions, Caiazzo withdrew from the course at his own expense. His attorney, Marc Calello, noted that dropping the mandatory course left Caiazzo short of requirements, preventing him from graduating. Calello argued that the case illustrates how academic institutions are increasingly censoring certain views, emphasizing that “there’s a difference between an opinion and a fact.”
Demanded Damages and Legal Standing
Caiazzo is demanding unspecified damages for educational harm, emotional distress, and humiliation. The lawsuit highlights the unique pressures of pandemic-era remote learning, when personal home environments became visible through webcams and collapsed the boundaries between private space and virtual classrooms.
Unresolved Legal Questions and Responses
The college, Peter Hynes, and Gladys Harris did not return requests for comment from reporters regarding the allegations. It remains unknown how the defendants will formally respond in court to the First Amendment violations claimed in the New Jersey Superior Court filing, or whether the institution will alter its remote learning conduct policies as the litigation proceeds.
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