3 women file suit against closed for-profit college
Three Beaumont women have filed a federal lawsuit against the for-profit Brightwood College, which suddenly closed campuses across the country and in Southeast Texas last week.
The women are suing the president of the Beaumont Brightwood College; Brightwood’s parent company, Virginia College; Virginia College’s parent company; Education Corporation of America; and the CEO and equity firms that own Education Corporation.
“How is it that these students paid what they were supposed to pay, did what they were supposed to do, and are somehow worse off for it?” said attorney Mark Sparks of Beaumont’s Ferguson Law Firm, which hoped to build a class-action case.
Education Corporation of America announced Dec. 5 that it would close all 75 of its for-profit college campuses nationwide.
ECA includes five different college brands nationwide, according to its website, including Brightwood College, Brightwood Career Institute, Virginia College, the Ecotech Institute and the Golf Academy of America.
The company released a statement saying students would be given their transcripts so students could transfer to different schools.
The school focused on diplomas and associate’s degrees related to health care, including programs for dental assistants, medical assistants, medical office specialists and pharmacy technicians.
Education Corporation officials said in a web post that additional federal requirements and accreditation issues prompted the closure.
“The uncertainty of these circumstances resulted in an inability to acquire additional capital to operate the schools,” the statement said.
“This is not the outcome that the organization envisioned and is one that ECA recognizes will have a dramatic effect on both the students that they have served and their employees.”
Ferguson Law Firm said in an earlier statement about the lawsuit that the closures affected “thousands upon thousands of students.” It said the firm also is looking to represent employees “who have lost their jobs.”
Brightwood College did not respond to a request for comment.
Information regarding transcript requests, externships, diplomas, transfers, financial aid, stipends and more is available at ecacolleges.com/faq.
On Friday, Vista College, a for-profit school similar to those owned by Education Corporation of America, released a statement encouraging former Brightwood and Virginia College students to set up appointments with its admissions representatives.
“We know that they have worked hard and are now trying to figure out their next steps,” Vista College CEO Jim Tolbert said in a written statement, “and we want to assist with that process.”