TAMPA, Fla. – A Florida appeals court has paved the way for a class-action lawsuit against the University of South Florida (USF) regarding the potential refund of student fees following the campus shutdown in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2nd District Court of Appeal upheld a lower court’s decision to certify the class action, allowing the case to proceed on behalf of a larger group of students.
The lawsuit, brought by ValerieMarie Moore, claims that USF breached its contract with students and unjustly retained fees for services that were not provided when the university transitioned to online learning during the pandemic.
This case is part of a wave of similar lawsuits filed nationwide against universities, with students seeking refunds for tuition and fees paid for services they did not receive.
While many such lawsuits have been dismissed, the USF case has persisted. In 2022, the 2nd District Court of Appeal refused to dismiss the case, and now with the certification of the class action, it can proceed to trial. The class action will include students enrolled at USF in 2020 and the spring semester of 2021.
This development follows a similar case against the University of Florida, which was argued before the Florida Supreme Court last year. The Supreme Court’s decision in that case is still pending and could significantly impact the outcome of the USF lawsuit.
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