FERPA violation, crooked politician and judge

The problem:
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My University gave out private information (non-school directory) to a former employer that I had a disagreement with and with whom I am now involved in a civil suit with.

The Questions:
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What rights do I have in suing my University?
Do I have the right to sue the former employer for causing me so much anguish and embarrasment?
Can I have the trial moved (see later info)

Background info:
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Because of the illegal release of the information, it has casued all sorts of problems for me, including loss Federal Student Financial Aid (later re-instated) and financial hardship from the loss, interruption of an important course lab which caused me not to complete the course requirements, academic penalties, embarrasment in front of my teachers and classmates, and loss of consideration of a study abroad scholarship.

This former employer wanted to get me to come back to the place of employment to consider being re-hired. I didn't want anything to do with the place though and told them to write me or call me using the publically-available information on my school's online directory, and we can meet sometime in a neutral setting to discuss the matter.
After over a year of no communication since, this former employer had a third party agent to try to find me on campus for days until the agent finally started showing up in, and actually disrupted, my classes. It was a frightening experience for me because the agent is much bigger than I and made a few threatening remarks.
I asked the agent about how my other information had been revealed and was told that the University had provided it.

I talked with several departments at my University including the Registrar trying to determine who released my information illegally. Basically they gave me the run-around. I talked with the ITS department and they eventually referred me to my University's legal department. I talked with the head lawyer at the University and was told basically the burden of proof was one me, that they were not going to go sifting through hundreds of server logs to find that proof eventhough it may have existed somewhere.

The University claims that the information was not and would not have been released. After investigating, the person working at the University who released the information was found and has confessed to illegally accessing my student records and releasing it to the former employer and has said that the employer pressured them into doing it. Also, the employer has provided documentation (court papers) that the University was working with them with providing informatation about me- which the University has since denied.


A few of my teachers now look at me as if I were a criminal and that is far from the truth. They say "I don't want to get involved." One of my teachers had direct contact with the agent because I went to visit the professor at office hours once and found the professor talking with the agent behind closed doors. This professor has said they don't want to get involved unless subpoened. Also some of my friends who were witnesses to possible criminal activity by the politician while visiting me at work, don't want to get involved because they say that "this [person] can mess your life up" because of their influence if you get in bad with them.

The former employer is a somewhat powerful politician who I have found now, is very crooked. It's heartbreaking to see the things this politician is involved in and is doing because I never thought the politician was crooked before. This person sometimes appears in the papers and has appeared on national TV speaking as if they're a saint but it just isn't so.

I know for a fact now and can say this because I have seen it with my own eyes. Worse yet, the judge that is involved in our civil case is a personal friend of the former employer/politician! I know because I recognized the judge from somewhere and asked around; another acquantance told me "they are not just friends, they are very good friends". -- sorta like drinking buddies or something to that effect. I think they may be scratching each other's back.

I believe I have the right to sue the University for breach of contract.
I believe the judge should be recused but I'm afraid of asking for the judge to recuse since they are friends.

Also, I believe I have the right to sue the former employer for humiliating me in front of my teachers. The former employer is a non-law abiding politician who happened to be very powerful in my state. I think they look at me as a "whistle-blower". I have no concern with politics and I just don't want them messing up my life like I have witnessed them do with a few other individuals while I was employed there.

On several occasions this same individual asked me to do clearly unlawful things and I resisted on the grounds that it was illegal and I told them I would not. Eventually it led to my office being moved to the back and then to me being fired. I am not concerned by the firing because I have no interest in working in that illegal outfit [alledged].

I am poor because I am a student. It seems that at the upcoming trial I will lose because of the arrangement this politician has with the judge-- for example I asked for a continuance for a hearing once because of a class conflict and it was denied for no reason, and the judge even snapped at me and it was my turn to speak!

I don't want a judgement to be awarded to the former employer because I am saving that money for school and if it is then I will not have enough money for school and have no one to fall back on (both of my parents have died within the last several years). The real issue though is that I am innocent in this civil case. The politician lied three times when we were at the hearing and I couldn't even do anything about it to defend myself because the judge didn't eant me to speak.

Also, I am a bit afraid to sue my University because I don't want them to kick me out of school becuase I sued them and I am getting close to graduating.
Anyway , this whole thing seems unthinkable that something like this could even happen, but it is happening.
Any help or advice is appreciated.

HELP! I amy need a lawyer in this. As I said I am poor and have little money. The case agains the University is pretty straight-forwarded and there has been precedent for suing for damages to cover lawyer costs (Please see the Gonzaga FERPA case).