Quid pro no show: Civil-rights complaint against MSU, professor over unexcused absences dismissed

Unexcused absences leading to a failing grade prompted Montana State University senior student Abby Jones to file a civil rights complaint against MSU and photography professor Christina Anderson, alleging their refusal to OK the missed class time put her Air Force future in jeopardy.

On Tuesday, however, the Montana U.S. District Court dismissed Jones' complaint for insufficient supporting facts, per court documents.

Jones claimed Anderson's refusal to excuse absences for a civilian-employer work trip, causing her to fail a core photography class, would delay her graduation and put her Air Force contract in peril.

Jones’ graduation status was green-lit in her online student portal March 17, the same day she filed the complaint without legal representation. But she still alleges Anderson crossed a classroom boundary by threatening to disclose her attendance history to her civilian employer — also potentially threatening her future with the Air Force.

“I’m still just as pissed off,” Jones told the Chronicle after the dismissal. “I find it very convenient MSU updated their system saying I am set to graduate the same day (I filed the complaint). If the attendance issue was removed, I would have passed the class."

The backstory: At the end of the 2025 fall semester, Jones, 22, was submitting her final project for Anderson’s class when she said she had to travel to the Washington, D.C., area on a civilian work trip.

“My boss is sending me to our required staff training at headquarters in D.C. from Dec. 2 to Dec. 5,” Jones emailed to Anderson on Nov. 17, 2025, requesting class excusal.

The work trip resulted in six total missed classes with Anderson, who had a six-absence policy for the class, according to the course syllabus.

The professor, who discovered she and MSU were co-defendants in the same case via a Google alert, said she learned of the complaint the same day she was slated to accept a National Society of Photographic Education Honorary Educator of 2026 award.

“To put it mildly it was shocking,” Anderson said.

Anderson told the Chronicle she has only encountered three other scenarios where students missed the same or more classes throughout her entire 26-year career at MSU.

"I had four prior (missed classes) for whatever reasons," Jones said. "I was either sick or (it was) another work trip. Either way it's none of her business."

Jones was a full-time paid grassroots director pushing policy for Concerned Veterans for America. The nonprofit is a conservative advocacy group dedicated to service members and military families.

Jones sent similar excusal requests, provided to the Chronicle, to two other professors and her military command.

Jones said she did not hear back from the two instructors, likely because the work trip did not conflict with class schedules. Command excused her from Physical Training and Leadership Laboratory, a mandatory weekly hands-on military training program.

“Is your boss aware that you have missed four classes and one late already?," Anderson replied to Jones on Nov. 17, 2025. "I will make him aware of that when we talk by phone so please give him my contact information and let him know I will require a letter from him saying the training is required."

The Chronicle received an employment letter from CVA detailing Jones’ work obligation. Jones had yet to provide the same proof to MSU as of Wednesday. She is not ruling out later providing it to make her predicament go away.

"It boils down to my right to privacy and to be respected," Jones said. "It starts out small and eventually grows to where you have no control. I have no ill will toward my professor. I just don't want this to happen to any other student. The administration that has been put in charge of this situation, all they have done is ignore me."

Jones said she believes a call between her professor and her then-employer could have resulted in a negative job outcome with the Air Force. Refusing to comply with Anderson’s demands, Jones' absences went unexcused, resulting in her failing the class.

“I’m not a child, I’m a grown woman,” Jones said. “You’re going to call a grown woman’s employer and tell him, ‘Well, she’s already missed this many classes’? I think that’s unprofessional.”

Jones had a counseling session with her commander after the incident. When her superior saw she failed the class, the consequences were immediately glaring.

“That’s enough for (them) to kick (me) out,” Jones said. “If they do that, I’m susceptible to pay back every dime of the scholarship money they’ve given me. That’s four years of $18,000.”

Jones, a self-described conservative who helped Republican Sen. Tim Sheehy’s U.S. Senate campaign, suggested her politics might have played a role.

“I’m a very conservative individual,” Jones said. “I’m in a liberal arts (major). I (just) don’t think this professor particularly likes me.”

Counters Anderson: “I was raised in a family out east where you did not talk politics or religion. I do not let students know what my politics or religion are. What tends to happen is in the arts you tend to have people assume (professors are) all one way and we are not.

“COVID put a damper on or changed the sort of optionality of attendance in some weird way," she added. "I think sometimes students think attendance is optional. Classes are face-to-face.”

Jones received a warning that her scholarship status remains in danger if her failing photography grade is not corrected.

“We discussed the possibility of a grade correction and potential to rescind this academic CE (a documented case of not meeting standards) if the grades are corrected,” reads a military counseling note.

Jones brought her case to MSU departments, including Campus Civil Rights and the Office of the Dean of Students.

“I have investigated the potential misconduct around your FERPA rights and did not find any evidence of FERPA violations involving your educational records,” Dean Adams, dean of the MSU College of Arts and Architecture, said to Jones in a Jan. 29 email. “I encourage you to go through the grade appeal process.”

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act prohibits schools from disclosing student academic records to private employers without the student’s written consent. Protected records include transcripts and grades.

Directory information, including names, attendance, dates, and the title of an area of study can be released unless the student opts out. Exceptions require subpoenas or health and safety related emergencies, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The MSU Grade Grievance Policy defines an academic complaint as “an unfair academic decision.” Grievances include a result on a basis other than course performance or compliance with assignments and other requirements.

Standards unequal to other students, or “substantial” policy departures, are also valid complaints, per MSU.

“The instructor offered Abby an opportunity to provide information in support of her request for an exception to the syllabus policy, but Abby chose not to provide the requested information or offer any alternatives in support of her request,” said Jim Zimpel, MSU College of Arts and interim School of Film and Photograph director, in a Feb. 18 email. “I believe the instructor followed the grading requirements as outlined in the course syllabus.”

Jones received an email from Montana University System Chief Legal Counsel Ali Bovingdon on March 19, two days after she filed her civil rights complaint.

“You may be eligible for an exception to the absence policy if you are able to provide appropriate documentation,” Bovingdon wrote in an email to Jones, which she sent to the Chronicle. “If you are able to provide this information now, I can help you with facilitating a resolution.”

Jones subsequently filed her complaint.

“The central issue was that I was directed to permit the disclosure of my private educational information to my employer with the explicit understanding that (not doing) so would result in failure of the course,” Jones said.

Jones was asked what an optimal outcome is for her.

“I Just want to graduate on May 8 and move on with my life," she replied. "I am not interested in suing. I just want what I’m owed, a grade I worked my butt off for.”