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Columbia University Pandemic Tuition Class Action Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: A group of students sued New York’s Columbia University.
- What: Columbia University has reached a settlement with students who alleged the college refused to refund students whose studies were impacted by pandemic college closures.
- Where: New York
Columbia University has reached a deal with students to settle claims that it unfairly denied them refunds for certain fees and tuition, after campuses were closed and all classes were taken online during the coronavirus pandemic.
On Oct. 6, the Ivy League college wrote to the New York court, telling judges it had reached a preliminary settlement with the students. The details of the settlement were not hinted at.
“The parties will now turn to the work of finalizing their agreement and submitting a motion for preliminary approval for the Court’s consideration,” Columbia University said in the letter.
As the novel coronavirus swept through New York last year, many colleges closed their campuses, moved their students out of dormitories, and transitioned classes to online to meet safety requirements. Some are now facing lawsuits due to the amount they decided to reimburse students.
The Columbia University class action lawsuit was originally filed against the college last April by students Chris Riotta, Lisa Guerra, Alexandra Taylor-Gutt and an unnamed student.
The plaintiffs said in the complaint that, while closing campus and transitioning to online classes was the right thing for the university to do, students were deprived of the benefits of in-person instruction, access to campus facilities, student activities and other benefits and services.
The students alleged that these were some of the services they were meant to get in exchange for paying fees and tuition.
The Class Action Lawsuit was Trimmed by a Judge in March Because There was ‘No Proof Columbia had Promised Exclusively On-Campus Tuition’
In March, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman trimmed the lawsuit, telling students they could only sue around breaches of specific claims the university had made, saying there was no proof Columbia had ever promised to offer exclusively on-campus tuition.
However, there was plausible proof that the college had promised to provide access to certain campus facilities in exchange for some fees, the judge said.
At least two U.S. universities have beat students’ class action lawsuits that tuition fees should be refunded since they paid for terms that were moved online due to COVID-19.
Loyola University in Chicago and New York’s Fordham University struck a win when a pair of courts concluded that statements made in course catalogs and advertisements were not enough to establish the plaintiffs’ claims.
What was your experience getting refunds during the pandemic? Let us know in the comments!
The students are represented by Eric Poulin and Roy Willey of Anastopoulo Law Firm LLC, John M. Bradham of Morea Schwartz Bradham Friedman & Brown LLP and Edward G. Toptani of Toptani Law Offices.
The Columbia University Pandemic Fees Class Action Lawsuit is In re: Columbia University Tuition Refund Action, case number 1:20-cv-03208, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
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