http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article169769042.html
Accusations From Former Professor: On August 28, 2017, the Charlotte Observer published a Michael Gordon piece entitled “Charlotte School of Law bilked $285 million from taxpayers, former faculty member says.” Read the following portion:
“A lawsuit filed by a former professor of Charlotte School of Law accuses the failed school and its corporate owner of defrauding taxpayers out of $285 million by admitting hundreds of unqualified students, then manipulating records to keep them enrolled so the school could collect their government-backed tuition.
Barbara Bernier says the for-profit school, which closed last week, conspired with its owner, the InfiLaw System, to inflate enrollment and maximize profits. She says Charlotte Law lowered admissions and retention standards while misrepresenting both the state bar exam scores of their graduates and their success in finding jobs, according to a 2016 complaint that became public for the first time this month.
“The goal of the school has never been focused on education,” said Coleman Watson, Bernier’s Orlando, Fla.-based attorney.“The shareholder tended to be more important than the student body, and that’s why she came forward.”
Contacted by the Observer, Charlotte Law spokeswoman Victoria Taylor issued a statement that the school “will defend itself vigorously against the allegations in the complaint. Beyond that, we do not intend to comment on pending litigation.” [Emphasis mine]
What a stellar “institution of higher learning,” huh? Makes you wonder why they never coined themselves “the Harvard of North Carolina.” The school had weak admi$$ion$ criteria. Seems the main ones were gullibility and a pulse.
For $ome rea$on, the American Bar Association never investigated this member school. I suppose as long as the accreditation fees are collected, they don’t give a damn. After all, there are literally dozens of ABA schools in operation that are an embarrassment to the concept of higher education, let alone professional school. Yet, they remain in business – on the public’s dime, of course.
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/charlotte-school-of-law-defrauds-taxpayers-285-million-lawsuit-says/599526239
Other Coverage: On August 29, 2017, Charlotte TV station WSOC, channel 9, ran a Paul Boyd story headlined “Former Charlotte School of Law student recalls predatory admissions process.” Here is the opening:
“The troubles surrounding the now-closed Charlotte School of Law are mounting, including allegations about the school's predatory admissions process.
Former student Talece Hunter has a college degree and a master's degree. She applied to Charlotte School of Law in 2015 and thought it was unusual there was no application process.
Hunter said she experienced aggressive predatory sales tactics after expressing interest in the law school.
"If you didn't call them or did not email them, they were leaving you voicemails two and three times a day," Hunter said.
She also said some her classmates were also less than qualified to be there, which is an allegation made in newly unsealed lawsuit that alleges the law school defrauded taxpayers of at least $285 million.
The lawsuit was filed by former Charlotte School of Law professor Barbara Bernier under whistleblower laws.
Bernier claims she has inside knowledge that hundreds of unqualified students were admitted to the school. She also alleges that student records were manipulated and that enrollment was inflated in an effort to increase profits through government-backed tuitions.
"Many candidates for admission (were) academically unqualified, and would be improbable candidates for admission in most other law schools," the lawsuit read.”
The suit that was filed in Florida District Court alleges Charlotte School of Law "repeatedly identified minority students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities as a major source of students and a revenue stream."
It also claims there was a period of time when an acceptable grade point average was "1.50."The lawsuit was originally filed in 2016 but remained sealed while federal investigators looked into the case.” [Emphasis mine]
That 1.50 GPA seems incredibly low, even by TTTTT standards. I understand that ABA-accredited dung heaps aggressively recruit students, but they also don’t force you to apply, pay fees, take the LSAT, enroll, sit in class, and stay in school. However, the school knows that this country is littered with dim bulbs who will jump at the chance for a “legal education.” And they know that the federal government will still issue student loans to those idiots.
Conclusion: CharloTTTTTe $chool of Law is no longer in operation, but it did reap a financial windfall for over a decade. More accurately, the shareholders of Sterling Partners took in the loot – with the “educators” and administrators doing real well for themselves too, in the process. The students were a mere mean$ to an end, i.e. big-ass bags of federal cash in the form of educational loans. Who cares if the debt is non-dischargeable for the pupils? They are just props anyway, so the schools can have a reason to exist. Amazingly, college graduates continue to apply to, and enroll in, such weak law schools. By the way, this diploma mill is under federal investigation. When will someone open the P.T. Barnum College of Law?