A former student sued Lehigh University over the C-plus grade she got in one of her graduate classes. She lost that case in January. Now she wants a second trial.

Megan Thode, in her civil trial in January, claimed breach of contract and sexual discrimination, alleging her professor in a 2009 graduate-level therapist internship course retaliated against her over her support of gay marriage, and that her grade prevented her from becoming a licensed therapist.

She sought to have her C-plus grade raised to a B along with $1.3 million in damages.

After four days of hearing testimony, Judge Emil Giordano ruled the university was not culpable and Megan Thode was entitled neither to the $1.3 million nor to the upgrade.

The teacher testified previously that Thode’s disruptive behavior in class hurt her grade. That’s sort of beside the point, except in that her testimony signals as much as the C-plus grade itself that Thode lacks the qualifications of a licensed therapist.

The trial drew wide publicity, and not only because of the availability of social media, although a connected world certainly accelerates the spread of information.

For one thing, Thode is the daughter of a Lehigh associate professor of business. He testified on his daughter’s behalf. Not only does his employment signify a heightened adversity between student and school, but it also pits one faculty member’s word against another’s.

Above that, it means Thode grew up enjoying the university’s payroll and benefits program. She bites the hand that fed her.

Add to that the uncertainty a ruling in her favor would cast on all institutions of higher learning. Is any student entitled to take a professor to court over grades? What about statutes of limitation? Thode got that C-plus more than three years ago.

Colleges and universities are held to strict academic standards for accreditation, and many strive to exceed them. An accomplished, educated body of alumni is the lifeblood of a university. It’s not a school’s desire to fail deserving students; neither is it the desire to graduate undeserving ones.

Last week, Thode’s lawyer, Richard Orloski, asked Judge Giordano either to reverse his ruling or grant his client a new trial.

Giordano must be asking himself the same question we’re asking: If Thode had put as much effort into the original class as she’s putting in her lawsuit, do you suppose she would have gotten better than a C-plus?