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Man sues Morehouse College after they say he never graduated

ATLANTA — A man who said he graduated from Morehouse College more than 30 years ago is suing the school because the college said he never met graduation requirements. And now Morehouse is countersuing to get him to return the diploma it gave him 33 years ago.

"They can't have it back, I earned it," Terry Boyd told Channel 2's Tom Jones outside the southwest Atlanta campus.

Boyd's attorney wonders why the school gave him the diploma if it believed he hadn't met the requirements

"How do you mail something like this to someone you're professing did not complete you're requirements for graduation?" attorney Marsha Mignott said.

This all began two years ago after Boyd applied for a job paying nearly $150,000 a year and the company checked his background.

"They said they had a problem verifying my graduation from Morehouse," Boyd explained.

Morehouse said he failed an Organic Chemistry class. His transcript shows he made a D.

Boyd said he passed the class. His attorney said it appears someone changed his grade from a C to a D.

Mignott finds it odd the college would let him take Chemistry 2 if he failed the prerequisite Chemistry 1 class.

"Even if you're in high school you cannot take Algebra 2 unless you've completed Algebra 1," she said.

That's why Boyd is now suing Morehouse. But the college is fighting back.

According to court documents, Morehouse is countersuing Boyd claiming he never met requirements for graduation and is in unlawful possession of the diploma.

"Morehouse is arguing that he literally stole the diploma," Mignott said.

Boyd said he spent four long hard years working to get his diploma.

"I really feel disappointed in Morehouse as far as the administration is concerned."

Morehouse did not respond to an email and phone calls seeking comment by Jones.

The lawsuit is headed to court later this year.