A former social work student is suing the University of Hong Kong, claiming it forced her to drop out of a bachelor's degree and discriminated against her because she suffers from depression and an anxiety disorder.
The woman, whose identity cannot be revealed because of her illness, launched the damages claim with a writ in the District Court on May 16, claiming HKU forced her to quit her studies in January.
She suffers from generalised anxiety disorder and depression.
The former student claims the university and staff discriminated against her from the time she was admitted to the full-time bachelor of social work degree course in September 2003.
In the writ, the former student says she had problems handing in her assignments on time and sitting exams because of her mental problems.
She alleges assistant professor Lam Chiu-wan had implied her disability was 'troublesome' after the university granted her an extension on a term assignment in May 2004 on the advice of a psychiatrist.