A former freshman has sued Manhattanville College for keeping tuition and fees for on-campus programs that were shut down last spring in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Purchase college changed hands-on learning to online instruction, Joseph Laudati, of Walden, Orange County, stated in a Jan. 12 lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, White Plains.
“When this happened,” according to the lawsuit, he “was forced from campus and deprived of the benefit of the bargain for which he had paid.”
Laudati filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of all students who were displaced from the campus during the spring semester.
Spokesperson Cara Cea said Manhattanville would not comment on pending litigation.
Manhattanville offers two distinct academic paths: remote online education and in-person education.
Online courses are specifically marketed to students who do not want face-to-face meetings in classrooms.
In-person education, according to the complaint, fosters an environment that is collaborative, socially responsible and community driven.
Students on campus interact with professors, mentors and peers. They use libraries, labs, gyms and the health center. They participate in extracurricular activities, student governance and cultural events.
Laudati said he paid tuition and other fees for the Jan. 22 – May 10, 2020 spring semester. He does not say how much tuition cost, but this year, one semester costs $19,440, according to the college website.
He also paid a mandatory $725 comprehensive fee for gyms, library and other resources, and $7,233 for room and board.
Manhattanville initially suspended in-person classes on March 11, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the complaint, and moved classes online. Then on March 21, students were told to move out of the dorms by the following day.
In April, the college announced that undergraduates would receive a credit up to $1,850 for fees and room and board for the fall semester. Graduating seniors would receive a refund.
“Unfortunately,” the complaint states, “appropriate refunds and credits were never issued.”
Laudati claims that the policy is inadequate. The housing refund, for instance, worked out to about 20% of the amount students paid yet they were deprived of housing for about half of the semester.
Laudati decided not to return to Manhattanville for his sophomore year. When he asked for a refund, the complaint states, he was told he was not eligible because he was not returning.
He accuses Manhattanville of breach of contract, unjust enrichment and deceptive practices. He is demanding that the college “disgorge amounts wrongfully obtained for tuition, fees, on-campus housing and meals.”
Manhattan attorneys John M. Bradham and Peter B. Katzman represent Laudati.
