Students Say ITT Recruiters Misled Them

NASHVILLE (CN) - A group of students who enrolled in an ITT Technical Institute nursing school claim that the college deceived them about accreditation during the recruiting process.

Eleven plaintiffs say that ITT Educational Services Inc. dba ITT Technical Institute made "material false or misleading statements" about its Breckinridge School of Nursing and Health Sciences in Nashville, Tenn.

ITT falsely stated that the nursing program would be accredited by the time the students graduate, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Davidson County, Tenn.

Recruiters also said nursing school credits would be transferrable to other schools, but that wasn't true, the students claim.

"Contrary to all of these statements, defendant has provided substandard teaching, which has led to abysmal graduation rates...and abysmal job prospects. As a result, the nursing school's associated nursing program has not received program-based accreditation and the Tennessee Board of Nursing has repeatedly refused to approve the nursing school," the lawsuit states. "Therefore, nursing school credits are not transferrable to other academic institutions, and nursing school degrees cannot serve as a basis for a bachelor of science in nursing or other advanced degree at other academic institutions."

The complaint alleges violations of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, fraudulent inducement, breach of contract, unjust enrichment and misrepresentation.

The students claim they spent thousands of dollars on "a substandard education." They seek compensatory and punitive damages.

ITT did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent Friday through an online contact form.

However, in a press release dated April 4, the college addressed similar allegations made recently by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey.

"Some of the claims rest on a biased and selective portrayal of the facts. For example, the complaint purports to identify 'actual' placement rates for graduates of the ITT Technical Institutes but omits any explanation for how the Office calculated those rates," the release states. "The complaint also quotes testimony out of context and disregards key facts demonstrating the institution's genuine commitment to securing outstanding job opportunities for its graduates and to producing reliable and well-documented placement statistics."

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