BestLawyerTips | News – In an attempt to halt the planned closure of Golden Gate University School of Law’s juris doctor program, the alumni association and four current students sued the institution and its president on Wednesday in a state court in California.
In late November, Golden Gate authorities declared that the institution will end its J.D. program in May due to budgetary constraints brought on by declining enrollment, a weak job market, and poor bar test pass rates. According to them, the 123-year-old institution will still provide graduate and undergraduate degrees unrelated to J.D. law.
The plaintiffs claim in their breach of contract complaint, opens new tab, filed in San Francisco that officials failed to disclose to students the law school’s dire financial situation and that they failed to offer suitable transfer choices to students who were left behind.
In a statement released on Friday, Golden Gate University described the case as “frivolous” and expressed anticipation for its “prompt dismissal.”
In an effort to increase the school’s competitiveness, the complaint also alleges that Golden Gate President David Fike mishandled the law school by introducing untested new degree programs, taking out debts against the law school site, and doing away with tuition for students starting in 2022.
The school’s decision to give free tuition yet run out of money before those students could finish their degrees was described as “simply astonishing” in the lawsuit.
“The fact that this happened speaks to the serious leadership issues at the university,” the Golden Gate law alumnus Ryan Griffith of San Francisco filed the case.
Griffith told Reuters on Friday that material that Fike and others have “hidden from students, alumni, and university stakeholders” will come to light as a result of the legal procedure.
In addition to damages, the plaintiffs are requesting a preliminary injunction to prevent the J.D. program from closing. According to the lawsuit, Golden Gate’s necessary closure strategy has not yet received approval from the American Bar Association.
Sources: Reuters