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A California woman claims that she and other cosmetology students were duped by false job placement rates at the Aveda Institute in Los Angeles.
According to the Aveda class action lawsuit, plaintiff Ashley Mays and others spent thousands to attend the vocational school owned by Nurtur LLC.
However, their hope for a better life after attending the institute was based on false pretenses, including inflated job rates and the quality of the education program, alleges the plaintiff. In addition, the complaint alleges that cosmetology students were treated as an unpaid workforce while Nurtur exploited to service their paying customers.
Nurtur is an Ohio based company that runs Aveda, a beauty company with salons and stores across the nation. A part of Aveda includes its institutes, where students can learn cosmetology, skincare, or massage therapy. According to the complaint, Nurtur’s Aveda Institute Los Angeles is advertised as an elite beauty school where students learn the latest techniques.
“Unfortunately, Nutur failed to live up to expectations because students received little to no instruction,” alleges the Aveda class action lawsuit.
Mays says that she and other cosmetology students in her class were continually disappointed by the instruction offered at the Aveda Institute Los Angeles. She points to one class where her instructor was either absent because of breast augmentation appointments or distracted by online dating websites. Another instructor, says the plaintiff, could not demonstrate any techniques because her arm was in a sling. Instead, students were allegedly forced to learn via YouTube videos or just sat during class time.
The Los Angeles Aveda Institute allegedly functioned as a “diploma mill” for students who received little in the way of real instruction and whose certifications were merely rubber-stamped so they could qualify for the state licensing exam. To add insult to injury, most students paid for attendance through “tax-backed Title IV funds,” points out the cosmetology students’ class action lawsuit. Funds that students are required to pay back, even if they cannot find the jobs advertised by the “supposedly elite beauty school.”
According to the plaintiff, students pay more than $27,000 for Aveda’s cosmetology program and more than $16,000 for its esthetician program.
The complaint contends that, under state and federal law, the Aveda Institute Los Angeles and other post-secondary schools are required to disclose truthful information about post-graduation job placements and education programs to potential students.
The information that cosmetology students at the L.A. Aveda Institute allegedly received was far from the truth, however, leading them to attend and pay more for the education than it was worth.
The class action lawsuit alleges that Nurtur advertises a job placement rate of 60 to 74%; however, the actual rate is more like 38%, with many of those positions being part-time.
According to the Aveda class action lawsuit, Nurtur misled potential students at virtually every opportunity.
Nutur allegedly claims its programs will help students fulfill statutory requirements to obtain their necessary licenses to work in the beauty industry. Additionally, the company promises cutting edge instruction in high tech techniques.
“Nurtur also misleading states that Nurtur is located ‘on the exciting UCLA campus,’ thus suggesting affiliation with UCLA, when in fact the Aveda Institute is a for-profit vocational ‘school’ which, at the time Plaintiff attended, was situated between Jerry’s Famous Deli and Taco Bell,” the class action lawsuit says.
Mays says that she and other students were duped by Nutur’s marketing statements into believing they would receive a top-notch education that would allow them to succeed in the workforce.
However, “the school failed to deliver on even basic statutory requirements,” states the complaint. The plaintiff alleges that Aveda Institute cosmetology students received “little to no technical instruction.” Instead, students spent most of their time on basic operations and routine, menial tasks, claims the class action lawsuit. The plaintiff says that she and other students were required to provide haircuts, facials, hair removal, and other services at no cost, all while customers were paying Nurtur.
“In effect,” states May in her complaint, “Nurtur’s ‘students’ functioned as an unpaid workforce who ran the school and serves Nurtur’s paying customers while receiving no compensation in return.”
The Aveda class action lawsuit seeks to represent Californians who took part in Nurtur’s esthetician or cosmetology programs in the state. The plaintiff is seeking damages, restitution, unpaid wages and overtime, penalties, interest, as well as a court order stopping the institute from its current functioning as a “diploma mill.”
Are you a current or former cosmetology student of the L.A. Aveda Institute? We want to hear about your experience. Tell us in the comment section below!
The lead plaintiff and proposed Class Members are represented by Anthony Orshansky, Alexandria Kachadoorian, and Justin Kachadoorian of Counselone PC.
The Aveda ‘Diploma Mill’ Class Action Lawsuit is Mays v. Nurtur LLC, et al., Case No. 2:20-cv-08335, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
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30 thoughts onCosmetology Students Call Aveda Institute ‘Diploma Mill’ in Class Action Lawsuit
My Name is Alise Rayon and I am a full time student at the Los Angeles Aveda Institute location. At the time when I was looking for programs I knew that the learning experience was going to be different due to the virus. Upon doing endless hours of research, dead ended interviews, no response to inquires regarding enrollment, I came across Aveda. A name that was a household product when I was growing up so instantly I felt a connection. Something that really stood out to me in the beginning we were given a teacher, who wasn’t even an esthetician I believe she was in cosmo. However… we spent a week with her basically doing nothing. In our contracts and I’m not going to speak for anybody else but I was told repeatedly about Nurtur’s 1 week policy to void my contract if I’m unhappy with the program. Meaning I could get my money back or a portion and not be responsible to pay anything further due to me being unhappy with the program. Well, that first week was the best week I’ve had so far and I’ve been enrolled since January. I’m suppose to graduate in June and shortly after that be prepared to take my state board exam. That week had super interactive modules, videos that were clearly produced by Aveda. Once we moved into other phases of the program is when it went downhill. I’m going to pass on stating any names personally besides Alex Soto who was given a group of very pissed off students who are paying a lot of money to basically sit and do nothing all day, self teach, spend time outside of our school hours trying to retain some info that was skimmed over or not even discussed at all, and she has gone as far as spending money to stay at an airbnb that is closer to that disgusting place they call a school that looks like it belongs in an alley somewhere. I personally don’t feel comfortable with getting any services and god forbid a bikini wax, let alone PAY for it or have anybody I know pay for it to not even have a choice to the tech they will receive. The building is gross, there’s homeless people who Harass students walking out of the building, we have to walk past dumpsters that smell like piss to get to one of the parking lots closest to the school cause I personally don’t feel safe walking far in that neighborhood. It’s nearby UCLA but in no way shape or form on campus LOL. We have to pay for parking which is stupid. It’s definitely not what I was told it would be and I’m even going to have to pay for additional classes from a tutor to ensure my money doesn’t go to waste. So yeah, I’m interested in getting in on this class action, moving forward I will keep note of everything that occurs.
Hi my name is Sabrina I am currently in Aveda Los Angeles as an esthetician student I am currently experiencing the same being left on independent study all day every day, being talked down to, have not been taught anything. One teacher that is really stepped up her name is Alex. The day she was hired she was put on to my specific class she had no rules she was not trained she had no idea what she was doing and still got penalized for that without her I would truly know nothing. I have been enrolled in school since January and I am very close to being done with my schooling process I feel as if I am not even close to achieving my esthetician license. For example even today something happened to one of the teachers and four classes got stuck with one instructor so again we had independent study. I asked if I could bring someone into practice a back facial and they told me the person I was practicing on had to pay I do not feel trained enough to even charge a person for a service yet. So not only are they getting 16,000 from me they’re making more off of services from students. I do not smoke but they specifically told us they need us to be three blocks away from the building if we’re going to smoke or Vape and I have caught the manager and two coworkers every day smoking hiding/behind the trashcan that is less than 20 feet from the building. I can’t even get started on the hi Gene of the building the walls are disgusting, the lights do not work, the ceiling is falling apart, The washer and dryer leak so there is water constantly on the floor, The towels are so old that there are holes through almost every single one of them. This building is absolutely disgusting and I would never ever bring anyone there. I would never recommend school school to anyone I wish more students knew the truth about the school :/
I am currently a student in LA for the esthetics program and we have spoken of starting a class action as well… can we join this one? Or can someone contact me about options?
It he experience is the same at the Birmingham, Alabama location. Myself as well as others would happily take part in a class action against Aveda.
We have experienced the same horrific unproffesionalism and lack of teaching from the Aveda in San Jose.
They were unorganized and lacking in instruction from the get go, once covid hit it got even worse. It’s unbelievable that they get away with charging for an education without doing any real educating. Id love to join a lawsuit! Charging the original price while not providing adequate teaching, being completely disorganized, teachers leaving all the time and new ones replacing who still don’t teach, not having access to the products required to learn. Basically we gave them 16,000 for nothing!
Any updates to this??
I would agree with Aveda being called a “diploma mill” from my experience the director was using COVID-19 as an exploit. They promised an education what I got was YouTube. They broke their own contract multiple times. I was clocked in for hours I didn’t attend. When I reached out for help, I was told to cheat. I was tried to drop out of school, so they said I would need to pay the remaining balance upfront. I’m not sure about the law of evidence But I should have enough proof for everybody. I have currently been looking for legal aid on my own but any knowledge on the process would Appreciate it. Thank you
I am currently a student at Aveda in Houston, TX and am experiencing the same problem, along with MANY others!! We need help!
I was a student in Washington state who started and had to quit a week in to care for a family member and I was charged the full tuition.
Please add me. I attended the school