NC judge dismisses Frampton lawsuit

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said if the Board of Trustees rules against Paul Frampton in his appeal to receive his University salary, Frampton wouldn’t pursue further legal action. He will pursue legal action if that is the ruling. The article has been changed to reflect this.

As UNC physics professor Paul Frampton continues to serve time on house arrest in Argentina, a lawsuit he had previously filed against the University was dismissed Monday by an N.C. judge.

Frampton filed the lawsuit in North Carolina in protest of UNC’s decision to suspend his pay after he was arrested last January at a Buenos Aires airport with two kilograms of cocaine in his suitcase.

An Argentine court convicted Frampton in November on drug smuggling charges and sentenced him to house arrest, said Mark Williams, a UNC mathematics professor leading support efforts for Frampton.

Williams said the dismissal of the lawsuit by Superior Court Judge Robert Hobgood will not derail Frampton’s overall case against the University.

“The dismissal yesterday doesn’t mean it’s over by all means,” Williams said.

Frampton has also pursued the University’s internal grievance process. The UNC faculty grievance committee ruled on Sept. 26 that Frampton’s pay should not have been suspended, but the provost and chancellor rejected its recommendations. Williams said Frampton is appealing the two administrators’ decision.

Jill Moore, chairwoman of the faculty grievance committee, declined to comment on a specific case under confidentiality rules but said that the committee plays no further part in cases that have been rejected by the chancellor.

Frampton’s appeal will be heard by the UNC Board of Trustees at its next meeting on Jan. 23, Williams said.

Frampton has maintained his innocence, alleging he was the victim of a scam and arguing that he should receive full pay. He said he has been able to perform his full duties as a faculty member while incarcerated, including publishing papers in his field and advising his graduate students.

Williams said Frampton also has filed an appeal in Argentina, but he doesn’t expect the appeal process there to be quick.

Frampton’s ex-wife Anne-Marie Frampton said she has been in contact with him almost every day, and he is keeping his spirits up.

“He’s very positive,” she said. “To him, the glass is half-full and not half-empty, which is a very good way of living.”

She said he fell for the scam because although he excels at calculation and research, he doesn’t see reality as it is and is gullible.

“He’s the absent-minded professor,” she said. “I know one when I see one — I married one.”

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