Blackboard School Calls TCPA Class Action Settlement

Blackboard Inc. and Blackboard Connect (Blackboard) entered into a settlement agreement with a group of consumers who allege the education marketing company violated federal law by making unsolicited, prerecorded voice calls and texts to their cell phones.

North Carolina-based Blackboard, which has main offices in Washington, D.C., offers mass-notification systems for educational organization customers to draft and distribute school calls including district-wide informational messages, daily school attendance notification calls, PTA meeting scheduling calls, among others.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act prohibits companies like Blackboard from transmitting text messages and making automated calls featuring an artificial or prerecorded voice to cell phones without first obtaining the consent of the called party.

In May 2016, lead plaintiff Rafael Valladares of Illinois filed a putative class action lawsuit against Blackboard claiming the company unlawfully sent automated phone calls and text messages on numerous occasions over an extended period of time to his cell phone on behalf of a Chicago elementary school to which he did not consent to.

Valladares contends that he is not a parent of any child attending the school and repeatedly attempted to discontinue the school calls by contacting the school and explaining that the telephone number Blackboard was calling did not belong to a parent of a child attending the school.

However, his complaints were allegedly ignored and Blackboard’s prerecorded school calls continued.

Blackboard contests the claims in the complaint and denies that it violated the TCPA.

The settlement provides for service improvements and assurances that will allow unintended recipients of school calls to more easily opt out of receiving phone calls or text messages.

In addition to the service improvements, Blackboard has agreed to create a $7.5 million settlement fund. Each eligible Class Member who submits a timely Claim Form will be entitled to a payment of up to $60 per valid phone number.

Class Members who wish to object to the terms of the settlement or wish to be excluded from the settlement must do so by Nov. 21, 2016.

Who’s Eligible

“You are a settlement Class Member if you are an individual or entity who received non-emergency calls or text messages sent using Blackboard Equipment between December 22, 2010 and September 1, 2016 to which you had not consented or for which you had previously withdrawn consent.”

Potential Award

$60

Proof of Purchase

N/A.

Class Members must provide the phone numbers at which they received non-emergency calls and text messages using Blackboard Equipment.

Claim Form

CLICK HERE TO FILE A CLAIM »

Claim Form Deadline

11/21/2016

Case Name

Valladares v. Blackboard Connect Inc. and Blackboard Inc., Case No. 2016-CH-06482, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, County Department, Chancery Division

Final Hearing

01/04/2017

UPDATE: On January 11, 2017, the court granted the Blackboard TCPA settlement final approval.  Let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our  Facebook page.

Settlement Website

www.SchoolCallsTCPASettlement.com

Claims Administrator

School Calls TCPA Settlement
Settlement Administrator
(Managed by Epiq Systems)
PO Box 2838
Portland, OR 97208-2838
888-849-1312

Class Counsel

Myles McGuire
Evan M. Meyers
Paul T. Geske
MCGUIRE LAW PC

Defense Counsel

Martin W. Jaszczuk
Keith L. Gibson
LOCKE LORD LLP

Join a Free TCPA Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were contacted on your cell phone by a company via an unsolicited text message (text spam) or prerecorded voice message (robocall), you may be eligible for compensation under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

GET A FREE CASE EVALUATION NOW