WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) – Former students of a for-profit art school no longer in operation allege the university made false and misleading statements about its programs.
Jason Ortiz, Kristin Bennett and Brian de la Cruz, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, filed a complaint on May 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against Education Management Corp., The Art Institute of New York City, Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, et al. alleging violation of New York general business law, the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs are former students of the now defunct, for-profit The Art Institute of New York City. They allege they paid $30,000 annually for tuition.
They allege that the defendants promised educational programs that met the standards for ACICS accreditation, when in fact they did not. The plaintiffs allege they have "struggled to find any employment in their field of study," the suit states.
The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek judgment for actual damages, injunctive and equitable relief, attorneys' fees, costs, other damages and such other relief as the court may deem just and proper. They are represented by Catherine E. Anderson of Giskan Solotaroff & Anderson LLC in New York, New York.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida case number 1:18-cv-04623-KPF