Students sue Charlotte School of Law over funding loss

CHARLOTTE, NC– “I’m scrambling to figure out how I’m going to graduate, everybody is really mad, everybody’s very angry and understandably so,” said student, Margaret Kocaj.

Margaret Kocaj isn’t part of the lawsuit against the Charlotte School of Law but she has invested two and a half years as a student there.

“It’s really frustrating to come within 15 credit hours and be told you may not be able to finish or you might be but we’re not sure how or maybe it’s delayed, I just don’t know,” said Kocaj.

This week the Department of Education announced it will no longer award loans or other financial aid to students. Earlier this year the American Bar Association put the school on probation for not meeting academic standards.

“A law school has to prepare an academic curriculum that prepares you to pass the bar, prepares you for the ethics of the profession, assists you in getting a job,” said Smith.

Charlotte Attorney Brad Smith of Arnold & Smith says for one: the bar passage rate was well below average.

“A law school has to prepare an academic curriculum that prepares you to pass the bar, prepares you for the ethics of the profession, assists you in getting a job,” said Smith.

The class action federal lawsuit claims school leaders intentionally hid the problems from current and future students to continue getting tuition checks.

“The suit says had they known they might not have re-enrolled they certainly wouldn’t have applied for federal loans because they were facing a situation where they wouldn’t be able to complete their education,” said Smith.

Now that’s all Kocaj says she wants is to finish.  She says though the lawsuit names the Dean and President of the school she wants the school’s owners, Infilaw Inc, to take responsibility.

“I’d like to see Infilaw come out of pocket to pay for that, to pay for at least one more semester to give us time, those of us to finish and others to transfer make decisions as they need,” said Kocaj.