James Franco Sued by Former NYU Professor

James Franco

NYU Prof Sues James Franco for Defamation

Looks like someone wasn't all that thrilled with actor James Franco's renaissance man quest.

A former NYU professor is suing Franco for defamation, after the actor received a D in the class, "Directing The Actor II."

Former NYU film professor Jose Angel Santana filed a lawsuit earlier this week, claiming Franco made "disparaging and inaccurate public statements" about Santana.

Read: James Franco Pisses Off 'General Hospital' Fans

Franco received a D in Santana's class in 2010 -- no small feat, considering he missed 12 of 14 classes.

Guess there was no attendance policy?

Santana told the New York Post, "Whoever was in Clint Eastwood's chair at the Republican National Convention was more present than Mr. Franco was in my classes."

He added, "He uses the bully pulpit of his celebrity to punish anyone who doesn't do his bidding."

Santana has taken legal action in the past, suing New York University to win back his job after being fired in 2011.

In the November 2011 lawsuit, Santana claimed that there was a conspiracy at the University to allow Franco to get decent grades without doing the necessary work or attending classes.

The professor is suing Franco over the public statements he made about the initial lawsuit, when he spoke of Santana's teaching skills, saying he didn't want to "waste my time with a bad teacher."

Read: 'Freaks and Geeks' Sequel Coming to TV?

Santana noted, "I didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of those falsehoods. I was outraged that someone with his attendance record at NYU had the audacity to make those statements."