A dance instructor has sued New York law firm McMahon, Martine & Gallagher and one of its lawyers for allegedly dropping his visa application without warning and falsely telling others that he was a pedophile.

Jamie Hodges, who teaches Irish dance and is from the U.K., said in a suit against the law firm and attorney Gary Healy that he was left without legal status in the U.S., and with his business relationships in tatters, as a result of Healy’s actions. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Manhattan Supreme Court, seeks unspecified damages for defamation, legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty and other claims.