Sign In
Events
Newsletters
Search

Close

Close Search

Cancel

SEARCH
MY LAW.COMNEW

Ford v. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

If Successful on Breach Claims RPI Students May Recover Tuition for Covid-19 Cancellations

X

Thank you for sharing!

Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided.

MEMORANDUM DECISION and ORDER I. INTRODUCTION It barely needs mentioning that the daily life of a vast majority of Americans — and indeed, human beings — before the COVID-19 pandemic seems foreign to the way we now must live in the middle of it. Higher education has not been spared. Countless students were sent home from colleges and universities mid-semester, including the students attending defendant Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (“RPI” or “defendant”). Although their education continued remotely, to at least some of those students online learning was apparently less than they bargained for. Now three of RPI’s students, Morgan Ford (“Ford”), Ethan Deecher (“Deecher”), and Grady Habicht (“Habicht”, together “plaintiffs”) have sued defendant for breach of contract and other New York torts in the hopes of recovering in some measure the difference between the on-campus education they expected and the online schooling they received. Defendant disputes plaintiffs’ claims and to that end has moved for judgment on the pleadings under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure (“Rule”) 12(c). That motion, having been fully briefed, will now be decided on the parties’ submissions and oral arguments. II. BACKGROUND Plaintiffs Ford, a New Jersey resident, Deecher, a Massachusetts resident, and Habicht, a Connecticut resident, are all undergraduate students currently enrolled at RPI. Dkt. 28 (“Compl.”),

10-15.1 Plaintiffs allege that they were drawn to defendant in part because of “The Rensselaer Plan 2024″ (the “Plan”), a framework of programs, some enacted, some yet hypothetical, designed to afford its students a unique educational experience. Id.

Trending Stories

 
Reprints & Licensing
Mentioned in a Law.com story?

License our industry-leading legal content to extend your thought leadership and build your brand.

LEARN MORE

More From ALM

Premium Subscription
With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas.
View Now
Team Accounts
Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys. Each attorney is granted unlimited access to high quality, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry along with administrative access to easily manage CLE for the entire team.
View Now
Bundle Subscriptions
Gain access to some of the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys with our 2 bundle options! Our Compliance bundles are curated by CLE Counselors and include current legal topics and challenges within the industry. Our second option allows you to build your bundle and strategically select the content that pertains to your needs. Both options are priced the same.
View Now
Go to CLE Center
New York Legal Awards 2025
September 04, 2025
New York, NY

The New York Law Journal honors attorneys and judges who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession in New York.


Learn More
Complex Claims & Litigation Forum 2025
February 24, 2025 - February 26, 2025
Las Vegas, NV

This conference aims to help insurers and litigators better manage complex claims and litigation.


Learn More
Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards 2025
March 24, 2025
New York, NY

Recognizing innovation in the legal technology sector for working on precedent-setting, game-changing projects and initiatives.


Learn More
Go to Events Go to Webcasts
Associate Position

Blume Forte Fried Zerres and Molinari 1 Main Street Chatham, NJ 07945Prominent Morris County Law Firm with a state-wide personal injury prac...


Apply Now ›
ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY DEFENSE LITIGATION

d Arcambal Ousley & Cuyler Burk, LLP, a well-established women-owned litigation firm, has an opening in our Parsippany, NJ office. We of...


Apply Now ›
Senior Associate Wanted for Thriving Litigation Boutique (Wilmington, DE)

Our client, a litigation services boutique, is seeking to add a senior litigation associate to support their rapidly growing practice. A Big...


Apply Now ›
Go to Lawjobs