Harvard faces $5M class-action suit
Student alleges ‘subpar’ online learning options
A $5 million federal classaction lawsuit on behalf of unnamed students alleges that Harvard University is improperly retaining tuition and fees for services it isn’t providing amid the coronavirus-related campus shutdown.
The action filed Wednesday in federal court in Boston is the latest in a string of lawsuits against universities across the country seeking reimbursement for tuition and other costs amid the pandemic.
Student A claims “subpar” online learning options since the campus shut down physical classrooms in midMarch and says they haven’t received access to universities and services for which they paid $11,422 for in Spring semester tuition and fees, attorney David Pastor wrote.
“Even if defendant did not have a choice in cancelling in-person classes, it nevertheless has improperly retained funds for services it is not providing,” the suit states.
Pastor did not respond to an inquiry regarding the suit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court. A spokesman for Harvard declined to comment.
Harvard announced in March that it would transition to virtual instruction beginning March 23, the first day after Spring Recess, and students have not attended in-person classes since March 13.
The university is the third in the Boston area to be hit with a coronavirus-related shutdown class-action lawsuit seeking refunds on tuition and campus fees, and among the most high-profile to be sued across the country amid the pandemic.
Brown University was hit with a similar class-action suit in Rhode Island District Court last month.
Northeastern University currently faces three federal class-action suits regarding refunds for tuition costs, including a $50 million grievance by students.
Northeastern has not yet responded to the complaints in federal court.
Boston University is facing three similar complaints and has a deadline next week to respond to a suit filed over tuition refunds.
Class-action lawsuits demanding tuition refunds have been filed against at least 26 colleges nationwide, targeting prestigious private universities, including Columbia and Cornell, along with big public schools, including Michigan State, Purdue and the University of Colorado, Boulder.