Michelle Williams reports:
Former students of Mount Ida College filed a class action lawsuit against the school Monday, six months after the college abruptly closed.
The lawsuit names as plaintiffs the college, the board of trustees and five representatives of the college and board.
“The fallout was catastrophic,” the lawsuit states of the college’s decision to close in May. “Among numerous consequences, students were faced with finding an alternative institution to meet their educational goals to which to transfer – a daunting task given that transfer deadlines for most institutions had passed or were imminent; many students were left with degree programs that were discontinued or credits that could not be transferred; and many students lost their scholarships and other forms of financial aid.”
Read more on MassLive.
Additional reporting by WickedLocal explains the privacy aspects of the suit:
The lawsuit alleges that prior to the April 6, 2018, announcement that Mount Ida would close and be sold to UMass Amherst, the college provided UMass Dartmouth with students’ sensitive and private student academic data without prior authorization, in violation of the Massachusetts Right of Privacy Act and the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
“Mount Ida entered into an agreement to sell its land to UMass and close the college,” reads the lawsuit. “As part of this deal, Mount Ida funneled its students to UMass Dartmouth, illegally providing UMass with sensitive student financial and academic information, which was inexplicably provided as part of a land acquisition.”
Okay, but there is no private cause of action under FERPA, so hopefully the Massachusetts Right of Privacy Act provides some cause of action.