The University of Oklahoma is being sued by a former student for providing false data on alumni giving to U.S. News & World Report.
Elani Gretzer, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of all undergraduate students since 1999 in a District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma on Tuesday, accused the university and its Board of Regents of breaking contract by inflating data to U.S. News, OU Daily reported.
Gretzer, who was enrolled in the Price College of Business in 2016 and 2017, claimed that the U.S. News ranking was a material factor that led her to enroll in the school. After completing 46 credits at the University of Oklahoma, she later transferred to the University of Houston in 2017.
“The University of Oklahoma did not adequately disclose to Plaintiff or any members of the Class, the total direct cost, expected median student loan debt, cohort default rate, program completion rate, median earnings and job placement rate,” the lawsuit reads.
According to the lawsuit, the university indulged in unjust enrichment and deceptive and unfair business practices. Gretzer wants the suit to be certified as class action, and is seeking compensatory, consequential, and punitive damages.
Last year, former University of Oklahoma president Jim Gallogly was the first to uncover the misreporting of data, which began under former university president David Boren, prompting top university leadership to hire the law firm, Jones Day, to investigate and review the misreporting.
Last week, the U.S. News website stripped the University of Oklahoma of its past ranking for providing false data affecting its placement in the National Universities, Best Value Schools, Top Public Schools, Best Colleges for Veterans and A-Plus Schools for B Students rankings and lists.