Law Grad Sues Photo Studio for Featuring Him in Before-and-After Photos
A Cooley Law School grad claims in a lawsuit that a Michigan photography studio used his photo without permission to advertise its ability to retouch blemishes.
Aminur Khan says in the suit that he suffered from complexion problems for most of his adolescence and adult life, and the ad using his photo caused humiliation and embarrassment, Courthouse News Service reports.
According to the complaint (PDF) filed in Michigan’s Ingham County, Khan was photographed at the law school by Call Photography in February 2011 when he was still a student. In November 2011, the photo studio sent an email to Cooley law students, including Khan’s entire graduating class, touting its ability to retouch photos, the suit says.
The email included Khan’s unretouched photo along with a second picture showing his complexion after the studio’s retouching process, the suit alleges. “This side-by-side comparison accentuated the extensive blemishes on plaintiff’s face and quickly became the subject of conversation throughout Cooley Law School and plaintiff’s colleagues,” the complaint says.
The suit claims violation of privacy rights, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
