ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A Webster University student has sued the school over its refusal to refund tuition or fees amid the switch to online learning during the pandemic, at least the third such local case.
Caroline McClanahan's lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, was filed Nov. 11 in St. Louis County Circuit Court. Webster hasn't yet offered defenses in court, and a spokesman for the university declined to comment.
The suit says that McClanahan "does not challenge" Webster's decision "to effectively close its campuses and transition to online-only classes" because of the pandemic, but argues that refunds are warranted because she and others "did not choose to attend an institution that only offered an online education; instead, they chose and paid for the in-person services."
Webster held its spring and summer 2020 terms online, eventually transitioning to some in-person instruction in fall 2020.
The suit, prepared by St. Louis attorney Richard Cornfeld, seeks damages and restitution.
Read the full story, including other local universities that have faced similar lawsuits, on the St. Louis Business Journal website here.
