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Columbia University to pay $12.5 million to settle COVID-19 refund claims -Breaking

by Mike Robinson

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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Uris Corridor is seen at Columbia College throughout the outbreak of coronavirus illness (COVID-19) in Manhattan, New York, U.S., Could 27, 2020. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/File Picture

By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Columbia College agreed to pay $12.5 million to settle a lawsuit by college students who claimed it did not refund charges when it moved lessons on-line within the spring 2020 semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A preliminary settlement of the proposed class motion was filed on Tuesday night time, and requires approval by U.S. District Decide Jesse Furman in Manhattan.

Columbia will refund $8.56 million in charges for scholar actions, well being providers and the usage of its gyms, libraries and different amenities, and pay practically $4 million to keep away from the dangers of additional litigation.

The Ivy League college had beforehand given a partial payment refund. Roy Willey, a lawyer for the scholars, mentioned the $8.56 million was 100% of what the college nonetheless owed. Columbia denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.

Not less than 261 lawsuits have been filed towards U.S. faculties and universities over their alleged failure to refund tuition and charges when the pandemic pressured them into distant studying, in keeping with the legislation agency Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.

Many of those lawsuits have been dismissed, together with a case towards Harvard College in June, as a result of the colleges had not contractually promised in-person instruction and entry to on-campus amenities.

In February, Furman dismissed the Columbia college students’ tuition refund claims, deferring to the college’s decisionmaking about sustaining its tutorial requirements whereas selling the general public well being, however allow them to search payment refunds.

“The pandemic has imposed severe challenges on sustaining the instructing, analysis, affected person care and public service on the core of Columbia’s mission,” Columbia mentioned in a press release on Wednesday in regards to the settlement. “All through this era, now we have been dedicated to assembly the wants of our college students.”

Attorneys for the scholars could search as much as one-third of the settlement fund for authorized charges.

The case is In re Columbia College Tuition Refund Motion, U.S. District Courtroom, Southern District of New York, No. 20-03208.

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