James Franco has been hit with a lawsuit by his former university lecturer in an ongoing legal dispute.

Jose Angel Santana took court action last year against New York University (NYU), alleging he was unfairly dismissed from his job after giving the 127 Hours star a 'D' grade for cutting class.

Now, he has lodged papers at Manhattan Supreme Court against the actor himself, demanding unspecified damages following comments Franco made in April about his time at the university.

Santana tells the New York Post, "I didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of those falsehoods. I was outraged that someone with his attendance record at NYU had the audacity to make those statements."

Franco allegedly missed 12 of Santana's 14 filmmaking classes during his time studying at the university, but he alleges Santana is wrong to assert he was fired from the institution for giving him a low grade.