Appeals court won't revive lawsuit over UNC sham classes

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) A state appeals court won't revive a lawsuit by two former athletes who say they were harmed by sham classes at the University of North Carolina.

The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that a Charlotte-area judge properly dismissed their case last year.

James Arnold and Leah Metcalf are ex-members of the UNC football and women's basketball teams who argued the courses have hurt their career prospects. Appeals court judges wrote they hadn't sufficiently shown that.

Their lawsuit stemmed from an academic scandal over classes in UNC's African and Afro-American Studies department. Metcalf and Arnold say they were steered to courses that lacked class meetings and supervision.

A spokeswoman said UNC applauds the ruling. The athletes' lawyer Cyrus Mehri said they disagree with the ruling and are reviewing options.