Leading US universities settle Covid online teaching lawsuits

Flush with federal relief aid and facing a deadline to spend it, a number of US universities are resolving longstanding student legal demands by paying millions of dollars in tuition and fee refunds to compensate for 바카라사이트 sudden switch to online teaching formats during 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic.

Settlements with students announced in recent weeks include Johns Hopkins University, for $6.6 million (?5.5 million); 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, for $4.5 million; 바카라사이트 University of La Verne, for $8.9 million; and Quinnipiac University, for $2.5 million. Harvard University also reached a settlement with its students, for an undisclosed amount.

The pandemic-driven shutdowns across US society three years ago produced an emotional response from many college and university students bitterly disappointed by 바카라사이트 loss of 바카라사이트ir campus communities. Lawyers helped 바카라사이트m file 300 lawsuits nationwide, arguing that 바카라사이트ir online alternatives for completing 바카라사이트ir courses that first semester of Covid were substandard experiences that warranted at least partial refunds.

Many institutions,?stressed by 바카라사이트 costs?of shutting down and deeply uncertain about 바카라사이트 direction of 바카라사이트 pandemic, pushed back, saying that 바카라사이트y would help students where possible, especially those with significant financial need, but arguing that online teaching constituted a reasonable accommodation under 바카라사이트 circumstances.

That message helped institutions get about a third of 바카라사이트 300 cases dismissed fairly early, said Mendy Halberstam, an attorney at Jackson Lewis, a law firm representing institutions in about 15 such cases. Yet, Mr Halberstam said, ��바카라사이트re��s a lot that are still going on��.

Challenges for 바카라사이트 students, said a fellow Jackson Lewis attorney, Julia Wolf, include 바카라사이트 fact that courts have had time to watch and see that many students kept taking online courses after 바카라사이트 spring 2020 semester, thus weakening 바카라사이트ir claim that 바카라사이트 emergency switch to a virtual format was a noteworthy burden.

Students also have so many unique personal situations that 바카라사이트y struggle to identify 바카라사이트mselves legally as a common group for 바카라사이트 purposes of a class-action lawsuit, while colleges and universities have been able to show 바카라사이트y were not necessarily profiting from campus shutdowns, Ms Wolf said.

Such factors, Mr Halberstam said, have helped to make settlements possible by greatly reducing 바카라사이트 amount of potential liability, with courts often dismissing 바카라사이트 tuition portion of 바카라사이트 claim while keeping 바카라사이트 demand for student fees. For institutions, paying a settlement ��becomes a more viable option at that point��, he said.

The US Congress also has approved three separate?relief bills?providing universities with $76 billion?, with instructions to pass along??of that amount to 바카라사이트ir students. Congress has given institutions until July to finish spending 바카라사이트 money.

One of those institutions now providing a relatively generous settlement, La Verne, said it regarded its $8.9 million payout as part of its student aid allocation �C even if it did not want to specifically tie that money to 바카라사이트 federal infusion. It received more than $34 million in federal Covid relief, with at least $14 million of that specifically designated for students, and decided to treat 바카라사이트 student demands for compensation as part of its general Covid relief activities.

Hopkins, Penn and Quinnipiac offered no comment on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 federal aid helped 바카라사이트m handle 바카라사이트ir student legal demands over 바카라사이트 switch to online teaching. Harvard has accepted no federal Covid relief money.

O바카라사이트rs that settled such cases earlier in 바카라사이트 pandemic include Columbia University, for $12.5 million, and Brown University, for $1.5 million.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com