Among the noteworthy decisions issued this past quarter by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York are a decision by Judge Lawrence E. Kahn addressing when it is proper to maintain a lawsuit anonymously and a decision by Judge David N. Hurd remanding contempt proceedings to state court.
Anonymity in Lawsuit
In John Doe v. Colgate University,1 District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn evaluated the propriety of maintaining a lawsuit anonymously under a fake name. There, the plaintiff, a student athlete, brought a federal claim for due process violations under Title IX and state common law claims relating to the university’s investigation of sexual assault allegations against him and his suspension weeks prior to graduation. The plaintiff then moved to be allowed to maintain the action under the pseudonym “John Doe” rather than use his real name.
