Court Mostly Dismisses Pennsylvania Sen. Mastriano’s Lawsuit Over Ph.D.
Court rejects RICO and antitrust claims in Sen. Mastriano’s Ph.D. lawsuit, retains false light claim.
Why it matters: This ruling clarifies the legal standards for academic disputes involving public figures, particularly regarding defamation and privacy claims, guiding lawyers handling similar cases.
- Sen. Douglas Mastriano sued historian James Gregory alleging fraud, defamation, and anti-competitive conduct.
- Gregory reported 213 alleged inaccuracies in Mastriano's scholarship to the publisher and university.
- Judge Bernard Jones dismissed Mastriano's fraud and defamation claims on September 23, 2026.
- Only Mastriano's false light invasion of privacy claim will proceed in federal court.
Pennsylvania State Senator Douglas Mastriano, a retired Army colonel and historian with a Ph.D. from the University of New Brunswick awarded in 2013, filed a federal lawsuit in Oklahoma targeting James Gregory, a University of Oklahoma Ph.D. candidate. Mastriano accused Gregory and others of coordinated efforts involving fraud, defamation, and anti-competitive conduct to damage his academic reputation and political career.
Gregory identified 213 alleged inaccuracies in Mastriano's scholarship and reported them to Mastriano's book publisher and his degree-granting university in 2021 and 2022. These reports attracted media attention during Mastriano’s 2022 gubernatorial campaign in Pennsylvania. Gregory publicly suggested the number of inaccuracies indicated academic fraud.
On September 23, 2026, U.S. District Judge Bernard Jones of the Western District of Oklahoma dismissed Mastriano's claims for fraud, defamation, and anti-competitive conduct. The court ruled that these claims lacked sufficient legal grounding to proceed. However, the judge allowed only Mastriano's false light invasion of privacy claim to move forward.
This partial dismissal highlights the challenges public figures face when contesting public critiques of their academic work, especially amid political campaigns. The court's decision suggests a high bar for proving fraud and defamation in this context while recognizing potential privacy invasion through false light claims.
Legal professionals should monitor developments in the ongoing false light claim, as it could further define the intersection of academic integrity, privacy rights, and defamation law for public figures.
For further details, see the full court report.
By the numbers:
- 213 — alleged inaccuracies Gregory identified in Mastriano's scholarship
- 2013 — year Mastriano earned his Ph.D. from the University of New Brunswick
- September 23, 2026 — date of Judge Bernard Jones’s partial dismissal ruling