Hi Okesammie,

I appreciate your response. My supervisor just shuts me down. I know I am not perfect and there are things I need to work on. I was working on them but he lost patience with me. He did not give me due process or put in writing what he did not like about me. I am trying to work this situation out.

Hi all,

I am a grad student in my 30s. I was forced out of my PhD program by my supervisor. Unfortunately for me, my supervisor had something against me and I got the distinct feeling he wanted me to fail. He told me that I do not have the ability to the finish the program, would curse me out, and was an all around jerk. I was never given due process as I was never placed on probation, passed all my courses and qualifiers, etc.

I will be the first to admit that I am not perfect but I was not the horrendous researcher he claimed that I was. I had a publication and was able to advance my project. I can not prove it at this stage, but there have been people who fabricated results who were awarded PhDs. I am trying to finish this damn degree because I am ABD. Nobody wants to hire me. Due process was clearly not followed in my case. However, I am very scared that no one will take me in. If I use an attorney, I will be labeled as a trouble marker by potential new supervisors.

How do you guys think I should proceed? I feel that I can finish but my supervisor "sabotaged" me. I do not want be black listed by the department.

Thank you for reading and any advice you may have.