Attorney General Tong secures $5 million pre-judgement remedy against Stone Academy
Following the private nursing school's sudden closure, Attorney General Tong filed a lawsuit against Stone Academy, citing numerous violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
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Attorney General William Tong says a $5 million pre-judgement remedy against Stone Academy has been secured by the state.
Following the private nursing school's sudden closure, Attorney General Tong filed a lawsuit against Stone Academy, Paier College of Art and their owner Joseph Bierbaum, citing numerous violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
"The magnitude of this prejudgment remedy and the strong words in this decision send a clear message to Stone Academy and its owners—you knowingly broke the law, you harmed students, and you will be held accountable," Tong said in a statement. "We are demanding millions of dollars in penalties and recovery of ill-gotten gains, and we're going to fight for every measure of justice possible."
The private nursing school abruptly closed in early 2023 and left hundreds of students with no answers and unable to finish their degrees.
As stated in a press release from the Office of the Attorney General, the Connecticut Superior Court found that "Stone Academy failed to provide the instruction and clinical training that it promised their students." In addition, Stone Academy misrepresented significant aspects of its "practical nursing program including, the hands-on clinical hours and experience promised in its marketing materials" and its ability to provide students with "qualified faculty."
According to the press release, Stone and Bierbaum violated the law "knowingly," concluding that the problems at Stone were not simply "consequences relating to the [COVID-19] pandemic" as they have claimed.
