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Nov 11, 2009 10:43 pm US/Central
Second Lawsuit Filed Against Westwood College
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
For the second time in six months, Colorado-based Westwood College has been hit with a class action lawsuit.
The college has physical campuses in both Dallas and Fort Worth, but it's their online offerings that have the school in hot water.
Jillian Estes is a Florida-based attorney whose firm filed the newest suit Monday. "Our biggest concerns with Westwood college are the deceptive practices used to lure students into their school. The way they bring students in by promising them everything, but delivering them not nearly what they were promised."
The Texas Workforce Commission also has issues with Westwood. The agency sent
a letter ordering the college to stop offering on-line courses to Texas students because Westwood does not have a certificate of approval from the state.
"Whatever it takes to get a student to go to school there; they will tell them" says Estes.
Estes says the suit seeks tuition refunds for students who took on-line courses but had no idea they were not licensed by the state.
This lawsuit comes six months after
the original one accused Westwood of deceiving students, overcharging for tuition and leaving them with credits that will not transfer.
Elizabeth Outhavong is a former student at Westwood's Fort Worth campus. "It put me in shock. It really put me in shock that this school is no good at all."
Both Elizabeth and Jessica Miller, who went to the Dallas campus, are former students who say they took out huge student loans to pay for a worthless education.
"Now I'm sitting at a job, not doing graphic design, not doing the thing I love to do and I'm out $40,000" says Miller.
Miller got an associate degree from Westwood, but the 24-year-old says she can't get a bachelor's degree because no college will accept Westwood credits.
"None of the credits will transfer to any of the colleges in Dallas what so ever. None of the community colleges and none of the big universities will take them"
Westwood says it offers disclaimers on
page one of the student application form,
page 27 of the student handbook and on
its website as well.
The disclaimers state that Westwood makes no guarantee of credit transfer and in most cases, credits will probably not transfer to any other college or university.
Westwood spokesman Gil Rudawsky says the Texas Workforce Commission
has extended the deadline to the end of this month.
One of the many options being explored is having students take at least 25 percent of their courses in a physical classroom because the campuses are certified by the state, even though the on-line courses are not.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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