After saying that the reason he failed a philosophy exam was because his teacher was rarely in class, a student has successfully sued the French state.

Jerome Charasse, whose uncle Michel Charasse served as budget minister under late President Francois Mitterrand, only scored a 6 out of 20 on a philosophy exam. He had scored pretty well on the rest of his baccalaureate high school exams.

Because he failed the philosophy exam, he was not accepted into the prestigious School of Political Science.

Charasse's lawyer Gilles-Jean Portejoie says, "I am surprised that our public service should be so lacking."

A Clermont-Ferrand court ruled in his favor and will award him the right to damages, which have yet to be determined.