Thierry Rignol, a former Yale Executive MBA student, has filed a 13-count federal lawsuit against Yale University, alleging he was wrongly accused of cheating on a final exam using artificial intelligence. Rignol claims his exam, flagged by AI detection software GPT Zero, was his own work, highlighting the unreliability of such tools and potential bias against non-native English speakers. He was suspended for a year and given an F, missing out on being named class valedictorian.

Rignol's lawsuit, initiated in February 2025, contends that the disciplinary process was a "sham" designed to censor his "protected conservative political speech." The suit details accusations of breach of contract, civil rights violations, defamation, and more, seeking "damages without limitation." Yale, however, maintains that the teaching team had multiple reasons for concern, including substantial overlap with ChatGPT output and Rignol's performance on certain questions.

A key point of contention is Rignol's delay in providing the underlying Word document used to create his exam PDF. Professor James Choi, leading the Honor Committee investigation, repeatedly requested the file, warning Rignol that failure to cooperate could lead to expulsion. Rignol eventually graduated, but seeks to have his F reversed and records expunged.