A University of Missouri-Kansas City medical student filed a lawsuit against the university March 2, accusing the school of ratcheting up tuition, fees and other costs by requiring students to repeat classes and academic years, but failing to count the repeat courses toward students' GPAs, according to the Kansas City Business Journal.
Here are four things to know:
1. In the lawsuit, filed in the 16th Circuit Court of Jackson County, Mo., March 2, but moved to the U.S. District Court for Western Missouri June 1, Mr. Carter accused UMKC of using the institution's academic rules to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act by committing a pattern of racketeering activity in a scheme to defraud students. The lawsuit also accuses the institution of breach of contract and violations of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, the report states.
2. Mr. Carter claims he enrolled and successfully completed the first year of the medical school program. However, during his second year, he was unable to pass one of his classes. He claimed that because he did not pass the class, UMKC required him to repeat the entire first year curriculum and enroll in a separate program that compelled him to pay an additional year of tuition payments and costs. The action, Mr. Carter claimed, goes against university policy, which reportedly allows second-year students to simply repeat a class instead of an entire year's worth of classes.
3. The lawsuit also claims that despite receiving a passing grade in the class he retook and being told the new grade would replace his old one, university officials averaged the two grades, lowering Mr. Carter's GPA to less than the required level. Because of his low academic standing, UMKC allegedly told him to repeat the entire second year's curriculum or drop out of the medical school program, the Kansas City Business Journal reports.
4. Mr. Carter claimed UMKC also required him to take additional biology classes that would count toward his GPA, but failed to include those classes in his GPA or toward his requirements to gain an undergraduate degree in biology. He is seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages and attorney fees, among other costs.
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Editor's note: Becker's Hospital Review reached out to the University of Missouri-Kansas City for comment and will update the report as more information becomes available.