MARK STANALAJCZO v. BRANDONN PERRY; LYNN JOHNSON; JAN HU; JACQUES NOR; DAN CHIEGO; ALEXANDRE DASILVA; DARNELL KAIGLER; TAE-JU OH; BERNA SAGLIK - Articles

All Content

MARK STANALAJCZO v. BRANDONN PERRY; LYNN JOHNSON; JAN HU; JACQUES NOR; DAN CHIEGO; ALEXANDRE DASILVA; DARNELL KAIGLER; TAE-JU OH; BERNA SAGLIK

Posted by: Azya Thornton on May 4, 2026

Court: 6th Circuit Court (Published Opinions)

Attorneys 1: ON BRIEF: Frank J. Lawrence, LAW OFFICE OF FRANK LAWRENCE, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, for Appellant.

Attorneys 2: ON BRIEF: Timothy H. Howlett, Angelina R. Delmastro, DICKINSON WRIGHT PLLC, Detroit, Michigan, for Appellees.

Judge(s): KETHLEDGE, WHITE, and LARSEN, Circuit Judges

Court Appealed: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan at Detroit

LARSEN, Circuit Judge. Dr. Mark Stanalajczo was an adjunct professor in a dental school clinic. During the summer of 2022, the school administration required faculty and students who worked in the clinic to wear heavy protective gear as part of its response to COVID-19. At the same time, the school experienced difficulties with its air conditioning system. This combination led Stanalajczo and others to become concerned about overheating. Over the course of the summer, Stanalajczo “replied all” to an administrator’s email about the gear, sent additional emails to administrators, students, faculty, and staff associated with the clinic, filed a health complaint against the dental school, and spoke out against the policy at an all-school meeting in a manner school authorities deemed unprofessional. The school later terminated him after he failed to watch several videos on unprofessional behavior. Stanalajczo then sued for First Amendment retaliation. The district court granted summary judgment to the Defendants. We AFFIRM.

Attachments: