FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — A class-action complaint filed in Franklin Circuit Court alleges that Kentucky State University (KSU) and several university officials misrepresented the licensure pathway for students enrolled in the school's online Master of Social Work program.
According to a press release from counsel representing the plaintiff, the complaint claims students were led to believe the program met educational requirements for Kentucky social work credentials despite lacking accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education.
The complaint was filed by Emmanuel Smith, who is seeking to represent a proposed class of students enrolled in the program. The complaint alleges students paid tuition and committed educational benefits based on representations that the program provided a pathway to Certified Social Worker and Licensed Clinical Social Worker credentials.
According to the filing, KSU later informed students that the program was seeking accreditation and acknowledged that graduates of the unaccredited program might not meet licensure requirements in some states. The complaint alleges those notices came after students had already enrolled and incurred expenses associated with the program.
The complaint seeks class certification, tuition and fee relief, restoration of certain educational benefits where possible, compensation for transfer-related losses, and other forms of relief. The complaint also raises claims including fraud, breach of contract, omission, unjust enrichment and consumer protection violations.
In the press release, attorneys with Morris & Morris, P.S.C. said the case is intended to secure relief for affected students while calling for accountability and transparency. The firm emphasized that the allegations remain unproven and that no court has certified the proposed class or determined liability.
