Student sues Regent U. over suspension

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Regent University law student who was suspended for posting an unflattering photo of school founder Pat Robertson on the Internet sued the university and Robertson on Thursday.

Adam M. Key, 23, claims in the federal suit that Regent officials violated his free speech and due process rights for expressing his “Christian religious and political opinions” when it suspended him in October.

Key posted a picture of Regent’s chancellor and president making what appears to be an obscene gesture on his Facebook social-networking page. Key said he copied the photo from an online video in which Robertson scratches his face with his middle finger.

Regent officials said the posting violated standards of conduct that prohibit the display of obscene material outside an academic context.