Welcome to the Bobbitt v. Academy of Court Reporting, Inc. Class Action Website

 SETTLEMENT CHECKS TO BE MAILED ON OR ABOUT DECEMBER 15, 2009

Settlement checks are to be mailed directly to claimants by the Claims Administrator, Garden City Group, on or about December 15, 2009.  Questions regarding settlement payments or the mailing of checks should be directed to the Claims Administrator at (888) 404-8013.  Each claimant who submitted a valid claim will receive a settlement check totaling 30.997% of their Tuition Amount as determined by the Claims Administrator.  Claimants can locate their Tuition Amount on the Acknowledgment of Receipt of Valid Claim And Statement of Tuition Amount Determination and Program Completion Determination form previously sent to them, or on a Dispute Resolution Form previously sent to them, for those claimants who disputed the Tuition Amount.  Questions regarding these forms should be directed to the Claims Administrator at (888) 404-8013.  All disputes are now final and resolved.  The case is settled.  The Court has approved the settlement and dismissed the case. The litigation is now concluded.

Overview of Class Action

In February 2007,  a class action lawsuit known as Bobbitt, et al., v. Academy of Court Reporting, Inc. and Delta Career Education Corporation, Civil Action No. 2:07-cv-10742 was commenced  in Detroit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.    The case was certified as a class action in June 2008.  

In the lawsuit, current and former students of the Academy of Court Reporting, Inc. in Michigan sued the Academy of Court Reporting, Inc. and its parent company Delta Career Education Corporation (collectively referred to as the "Academy") alleging that the Academy misrepresented to students that they could receive an associate degree from the Academy’s Michigan campus when the Academy was never authorized to issue associate degrees in Michigan. The Court allowed the lawsuit to be a class action on behalf of all students who started or continued a program at any time between January 1, 2000 and the present who were told by Academy officials they could receive an associate degree from the Academy’s Michigan campus or were presented with a purported associate degree by the Academy. The Court did not decide whether the Academy did anything wrong.

The Court decided that attorneys George Googasian, Thomas Howlett and Dean Googasian of The Googasian Firm, P.C, of Bloomfield Hills, MI, were qualified to represent all Class Members.  The law firm is referred to as "Class Counsel."  These attorneys can be contacted at (877) 540-8333.

On July 21, 2009, the Court granted preliminary approval of a proposed settlement and ordered that all class members be sent notice of the proposed settlement.  The Court ordered that notices be mailed to class members by August 7, 2009.  Class members desiring to seek money and other benefits created by the proposed settlement were to  submit a claim form postmarked no later than September 18, 2009.  The claim forms were subject to a verification process by the Claims Administrator and claimants were given an opportunity to dispute determinations by the Claims Administrator relating to their Tuition Amount and Completion Determination. 

On October 15, 2009, the Court entered an order approving the settlement.  The settlement is final and the case has been dismissed.  All disputes are now final and resolved.  Checks to class members are to be mailed on or about December 15, 2009. The litigation is now concluded. 

Settlement checks are to be mailed on or about December 15, 2009.

Additional Information

Additional information about the case can be found in court documents, some of which are accessible by clicking here.

Still Have Questions?

If you still have questions, you can call Class Counsel at 1-877-540-8333 or e-mail a question to them at academyclassaction@googasian.com.  You can also contact the Claims Administrator at (888) 404-8013.

You can obtain more information about Class Counsel at www.googasian.com

Please Note The Following Important Dates: