On May 19, 2023, the Honorable Donald R. Johnson of the 19th Judicial District Court granted class certification for a group of plaintiffs who were on-campus students during the spring 2020 semester at Louisiana State University (LSU). Plaintiff Taylor Gunter is the class representative, and Tycko & Zavareei LLP was appointed Co-Lead Class Counsel. The Judge also granted in part and denied in part LSU’s motion for summary judgment, allowing the case to proceed.
The lawsuit alleges that Ms. Gunter and the certified class of LSU students paid tuition and fees for the spring 2020 semester, expecting to receive an in-person, on-campus educational experience. However, when LSU switched to online instruction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Gunter and other students were not refunded any portion of their tuition or fees they had paid for in-person instruction. To make matters worse, many of these students relied on student loans to pay their tuition costs for that semester.
Tycko & Zavareei LLP has been at the forefront of this case since it was filed in 2020 and will continue to serve as Co-Lead Class Counsel throughout its duration. The class is represented by the following TZ attorneys: Partner Anna Haac and Public Interest Fellow Schuyler Standley.
Ms. Haac handled oral argument for Plaintiffs on class certification, with Ms. Standley arguing in opposition to Defendant’s motion for summary judgment before the Nineteenth Judicial District Court in March 2023. This was Ms. Standley’s first oral argument as a new attorney. Ms. Haac said about Ms. Standley’s argument, “Congratulations to Schuyler for taking on this work with zeal, diligence, and skill! She knew it was high stakes, but accepted the challenge, and it was a joy and privilege to work and argue alongside her.” The case is now proceeding to its next phase with both rulings standing as a major victory for Ms. Gunter and her fellow class members.
For over a decade, Tycko & Zavareei LLP’s Public Interest Fellowship Program has been providing new attorneys the opportunity to do meaningful litigation work in the public interest both at the firm and through three-month placements with non-profits.
The case is Michael Miazza v. Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, case no.: C-696,918 Division C, consolidated with Taylor Gunter v. Louisiana State University System, et al., No. C-698,930 Section 24 in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court, State of Louisiana, Parish of East Baton Rouge.