Opinion ID: 2768865
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Keppler (Vice President of Student Affairs)

Text: In determining that Keppler was entitled to attorney’s fees, the district court relied upon Keppler’s testimony that he had nothing to do with Zaccari’s “final decision” to withdraw Barnes from VSU. Order at 41 (July 24, 2013). However, the district court ignored testimony that implicated Keppler in the decision to withdraw. There were notes from a meeting attended by Keppler and Zaccari that indicated that Keppler supported attempting to withdraw Barnes from VSU on an academic basis. Further, in Zaccari’s June 21, 2007, letter to VSU’s Board of Regents, he stated that to determine what actions should be taken with respect to Barnes, he “sought the advice” of members of his administrative unit, which included Keppler. The letter provided that Zaccari and his administrative unit “collectively decided that VSU [should] take necessary steps to minimize as much as possible any security risks.” Similarly, Zaccari testified that at a meeting on April 26, 2007, which included Keppler, “there was agreement from the group for us to initiate the plan that [he had] outlined.” Zaccari further testified that no one at the meeting expressed disagreement with him. Viewing this evidence in the light most favorable to Barnes, we conclude that it was not unreasonable for 31 Case: 13-13800 Date Filed: 01/12/2015 Page: 32 of 36 Barnes to believe that Keppler participated in having Barnes withdrawn. Barnes’s claims against McMillan were not frivolous, unreasonable, or without foundation. Therefore, we reverse the district court’s judgment awarding attorney’s fees to Keppler.