11/06/24 | Court Rules on Parties’ Cross Motions for Summary Judgment
In a summary judgment ruling filed Nov. 6, 2024, King County Superior Court Judge Sean P. O’Donnell denied in part University of Washington’s motion for summary judgment, while granting plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment on certain of the university’s affirmative defenses. Judge O’Donnell’s order upheld plaintiff’s implied contract claim, and the contract claim will now go to trial. Dan Kurowski, one of the attorneys for the class, said, “UW has lost two major case hurdles — class certification and summary judgment. We are now set for a trial which will start Jan. 27, 2025.”
Attorneys at Hagens Berman continue to support the class in their efforts to hold the university accountable for its alleged unlawful retention of tuition payments for the Winter 2019-20 and Spring 2020 quarters during the COVID-19 pandemic when students faced campus closures and limited, online instruction. Read the order »
UW's COSTS CONTINUE DURING COVID-19
The complaint reads, “Despite sending students home, transitioning to online instruction, and closing its campuses, University of Washington continued to charge for tuition and/or fees as if nothing changed, continuing to reap the financial benefit of millions of dollars from students.”
The grad student bringing the lawsuit states that he paid UW for “opportunities and services that he did not receive, including on-campus education, facilities, services, and activities.”
“With the University of Washington’s effective campus closure, cancellation of campus events, suspension of many campus services and programs, and transition to exclusively online instruction starting in the Winter Quarter 2020 and continuing in the Spring Quarter 2020 and beyond…Plaintiff lost access to the on-campus instruction, opportunities, facilities, and services for which Plaintiff had bargained for by selecting—and paying tuition and fees for—in-person courses and experiences,” according to the lawsuit.
TOP PLAINTIFF RIGHTS FIRM
Hagens Berman is one of the most successful consumer litigation law firms in the U.S. and has achieved more than $320 billion in settlements for consumers in lawsuits against food corporations, automakers, big banks and others. The firm has successfully taken on higher learning institutions as well, achieving hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements for students and alumnae to support campus safety and students' rights. Hagens Berman has achieved many record breaking victories in antitrust matters, and your claim will be handled by attorneys experienced in consumer law.
NO COST TO YOU
There is no cost or fee whatsoever involved in joining this case. In the event Hagens Berman or any other firm obtains a settlement that provides benefits to class members, the court will decide a reasonable fee to be awarded to the class' legal team. In no case will any class member ever be asked to pay any out-of-pocket sum.
CASE TIMELINE
A King County judge overseeing a class-action lawsuit against the University of Washington certified a class of student tuition and fee-payers accusing UW of unlawfully retaining those payments, amounting to millions of dollars, during the COVID-19 campus closures and provision of limited, distance-only online learning. More information about the lawsuit will be issued to students in the near future. Read the order »
Class notice website universityofwashingtoncovidlitigation.com
