The class action lawsuit filed by Ontario college students against their respective colleges will continue, despite the Ontario government’s offer of reimbursement for tuition fees and coverage for unforeseen incremental costs. Charney Lawyers PC will be representing the students filed as plaintiffs.
Almost 500,000 students enrolled at 24 colleges across the province were affected by the month-long Ontario college teacher’s strike.
“The suit is continuing. I can’t comment on how the government’s proposed plan will work until it is finalized and implemented,” said Charney Lawyers PC associate Glenn Brandys in an email to The Medium. The lawsuit was filed on the 14th of November in Toronto.
The Ontario college teacher’s strike began on October 16th and lasted for approximately five weeks. During this period, all classes, exams, and vocational training at colleges were cancelled, with no refunds for already paid fees provided to students by their institutions.
The lawsuit maintains that the colleges are in violation of the Ontario Consumer Protection Act, as they failed to provide the vocational training and the educational instruction promised to students over a specified number of weeks, as was agreed upon between the two parties.
Although students in joint programs, like those offered by the University of Toronto Mississauga and Sheridan College, were also impacted by the strike, the class action itself does not name any universities as defendants.
“In terms of joint program students—this lawsuit concerns only college courses. It does not relate to universities and has not named any universities as defendants. To the extent that persons in joint programs are enrolled in college courses that were impacted, they will be part of the lawsuit,” said Brandys.
The firm is also encouraging students to be careful while accepting governmental compensation until it is determined if they would have to sign a release of all claims, making the student incapable of obtaining any additional cost coverage than the government’s offered monetary recompense.
