A Connecticut state court has refused to let a woman proceed anonymously in a lawsuit against Sacred Heart University, after finding she appears to be a hazer rather than a victim. The decision by Bridgeport Superior Court Judge Robert Golger came last week in Doe v. Sacred Heart Univ., Inc., a case in which the plaintiff sued the university over actions it took against her.
The court was not persuaded that her interest in privacy outweighed the public's right to know. Because the record suggested she was involved in hazing, the judge concluded that she could not claim the kind of vulnerability that typically justifies pseudonymity. The ruling underscores that anonymity is a narrow exception in civil litigation, not something a plaintiff can expect as a matter of course.
The case illustrates how courts approach pseudonymity requests when a plaintiff is accused of misconduct. Even plaintiffs who challenge a university's disciplinary response may be required to litigate under their own names if their own conduct is central to the dispute.