DePaul University wins appeal affirming dismissal of putative class action about employment statistics

Client(s) DePaul University

On September 26, 2014, the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, ruled in favor of Jones Day client, DePaul University, and affirmed the dismissal with prejudice of a putative class action by graduates alleging that job statistics reported by the law school were fraudulent. In an unanimous opinion, the court held that the plaintiffs failed to allege any fraudulent statement or other deception by DePaul. "[P]laintiffs received exactly what they paid for (the J.D. degrees)," the court explained. The court also held that the plaintiffs failed to allege proximate causation, actual damages, and reasonable reliance.

Phillips, et al. v. DePaul University, No. 1-12-2817 (Ill. App.)