‘Widespread negligence’: Ontario college hit with $10 million class action lawsuit
Hundreds of current and former students enrolled Fanshawe CollegeOfficials of the school’s paralegal program are suing the school for “general negligence and misrepresentation.”
A proposed class action lawsuit worth more than $10 million has been launched in the Superior Court of Justice, citing Ontario’s Fanshawe College and its board of governors.
The claim seeks damages on behalf of hundreds of students enrolled in the college’s paralegal program since 2020.
None of these allegations have been proven in court.
The claim includes past, current and international students alleging widespread negligence, numerous negligent misrepresentations and violations of the Ontario Consumer Protection Act.
The lawsuit alleges the college repeatedly failed to meet the Law Society of Ontario’s requirements, leaving students unprepared for licensing exams and to practice law.
“As students, we were told that the instructors were properly qualified,” said Isabel Koestner, one of the proposed plaintiffs.
Receive daily national news
Get the day’s top political, business and current affairs news delivered to your inbox once a day.
“We were told they had master’s degrees. It turned out that these were “online courses” lasting a few weeks. We were told they had experience. It turned out, for example, that they had just graduated themselves and that their main experience was teaching yoga.”
Another plaintiff’s representative, Tony Trus, says they were told that more than 75% of graduates were working within six months. Thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, he says the real figure is more like 4%.
The complaint alleges numerous failures to report significant program changes and make annual statements, as well as failure to comply with academic and field placement requirements.
It is also alleged that the college failed to meet minimum teaching hours, failed to meet teaching qualification requirements and failed to teach, adequately or at all, more than 300 required skills.
The lawsuit claims many of these concerns were identified in a 2018 audit by the Law Society of Ontario, but the college and its board failed to address them.
“Given their vulnerability, the complaint also raises particular concerns about Fanshawe College’s treatment of international students,” said Eric Gillespie, counsel for the proposed class.
“This is a national issue that governments and the public have been raising for some time. Our clients believe it is time to address it. Fanshawe College unfortunately appears to be a perfect example of unfair treatment of students.”
The claim will now be considered for certification.
In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for Fanshawe College said it does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings or issues.
“We are very proud of our track record of providing high-quality education and student experience to students around the world,” the spokesperson said.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
