Western Culinary Institute

A lawsuit against Western Culinary Institute has been approved by a judge for class action status. The lawsuit was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland against Western and its Hoffman Estates, IL based parent, Career Education Corp., alleging violation of Oregon's unlawful trade practices act and unjust enrichment. The class action was filed on behalf of nearly 3,000 current and former students alleging the institute misled students with sales pitches and did not properly prepare them for the workforce.

The class action claims Western Culinary Institute failed to warn students that upon their graduation, their tuition would exceed their ability to pay off their federal loans. The suit claims the school misrepresented its job placement rate and failed to disclose that students would not obtain material benefit from the course of study.

Jennifer Adams, the named plaintiff in the lawsuit, alleges that the majority of graduates from the school wind up working in low-wage, prep and line-cook jobs, earning less than $22,500 a year. Tuition at the Institute, according to The Oregonian (December 7, 2009) is $18,000 to $41,000 for either 30-week or 60-week culinary and hospitality programs. The class action lawsuit covers students who have attended the Western Culinary Institute since March, 2006.

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Last updated on Dec-10-09

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Cooking Up a Culinary Class Action in Oregon

Portland, OR: A lawsuit against Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon alleges that the institute overstated employment rates and the value of its culinary education. The suit has received class action status and could pave the way for hundreds of additional plaintiffs affected by the issue [READ MORE]