James Franco Sued by Ex-NYU Professor, Compared to Clint Eastwood's Chair

Former New York University professor Jos Angel Santana claimed he was fired for giving Franco a D over a shoddy attendance record.

This probably isn't the sort of Barack Obama comparison that James Franco would want.

"Whoever was in Clint Eastwood's chair at the Republican National Convention was more present than Mr. Franco was in my classes," former New York University professor Jos Angel Santana told the New York Post in reference to his famous pupil, whom he's now suing for defamation.

Santana previously filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit against NYU that claimed he was fired for giving Franco a D over a shoddy attendance record.

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Franco's rep couldn't immediately be reached for comment on this new development.

Calling the Oscar-nominated actor a "bully," Santana blasted Franco for making "disparaging and inaccurate public statements about him" after receiving the poor grade.

Per the Post, Franco had told reporters, "I didn't feel like I needed to waste my time with a bad teacher...No teacher will ever be fired from NYU for giving a student a D. He wasn't fired, he was asked not to come back after three years because they didn't think he was a good teacher."

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"I was outraged that someone with his attendance record at NYU had the audacity to make those statements," Santana told the Post.

He insisted that he had "overwhelmingly positive student evaluations"--and Franco knew that when he trashed him to the media.

Santana is asking for unspecified damages.

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