The signature of Mary Pichelmann was a quote by US feminist Gloria Steinem: “The truth shall set you free, but first it will piss you off.” Pichelmann claims that a senior member of staff ordered that she remove the quote or else she would face “job discipline which could result in termination as an employee.”
Pichelmann said that all users of the University e-mail system are allowed to add signature codicils to their e-mail. The University argues that the signature was wrongly used in job-related correspondence. Pichelmann wants the court to give her the right to resume use of the signature.