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When You're in a College Electrical Circuits Lab, Better Follow the Teacher's Instructions

Eugene Volokh | 9.19.2026 10:28 AM

From Soliz v. Alamo Colleges Dist., decided by Judge David Ezra (W.D. Tex.) on Sept. 16:

Plaintiff Joseph Soliz, who is proceeding pro se, was at all times relevant to this case a student at St. Philip's College, an individual college within the Alamo Community Colleges District ("ACCD") system. He was enrolled in a class taught by Roy Ruiz, named as a defendant here.

On January 17, 2024, Soliz and Ruiz got into a dispute during class. Soliz was working on a lab exercise regarding electrical circuits. His digital multimeter alarmed at least once. Ruiz came over and offered to assist him, and Soliz told him that he would "get it figured out." Ruiz then explained multiple times to Soliz that he was not following directions. Soliz insisted that he was doing it his own way and asked Ruiz not to "micromanage" him. Ruiz took away his lab papers, and Soliz took them back, refusing to relinquish them. Ruiz threatened to summon campus police and instead summoned Elizabeth Leon, a St. Philip's staff member. Ms. Leon attempted to resolve the issue with Soliz, but Soliz did not cooperate and "told [her] the conversation was over."

The next morning, Ruiz sent an email to Soliz asking him not to attend class that day. The email explained that, in Ruiz's view, Soliz had been unduly combative and had misused equipment, which Ruiz believed posed a........

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