Law

Cornell University to pay $3 million to settle class-action lawsuit over COVID-19 restrictions

Cornell University has agreed to pay $3 million to settle a 2020 class-action lawsuit filed by students after the Ivy League school shut down in-person learning during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic1. The lawsuit accused Cornell of either refusing to reimburse or not adequately returning money to students for tuition, fees, and other costs that they paid for when typical operations were disrupted by the virus1. If a student was enrolled at the Ithaca, New York-based institution during the spring 2020 semester, they might be eligible for a portion of the settlement that stems from Alec Faber’s initial suit, according to a legal notice posted on the school’s website last week1.

Key facts:

Cornell University has agreed to pay $3 million to settle a 2020 class-action lawsuit filed by students after the Ivy League school shut down in-person learning during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic1.
The lawsuit accused Cornell of either refusing to reimburse or not adequately returning money to students for tuition, fees, and other costs that they paid for when typical operations were disrupted by the virus1.
If a student was enrolled at the Ithaca, New York-based institution during the spring 2020 semester, they might be eligible for a portion of the settlement that stems from Alec Faber’s initial suit, according to a legal notice posted on the school’s website last week1.
The settlement comes after a year of legal battles between Cornell and its students over the university's handling of the pandemic1.
The settlement is a reminder of the financial impact of the pandemic on higher education institutions and their students1.

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