Former Stone Academy students file federal lawsuit against the state

On Tuesday, nine former Stone Academy students are suing the Connecticut Office of Higher Education and the Department of Public Health for taking away class credit and damaging their professional reputations.

David Slossberg is the attorney representing former Stone Academy students.

"And today's lawsuit was brought against the state for its part in this," said Slossberg.

The private nursing school abruptly closed in February and left hundreds of students with no answers and unable to finish their degrees.

The Connecticut Office of Higher Education closed Stone Academy after discovering questionable passing rates, teachers who were not properly qualified and insufficient attendance records.

Slossberg said the two state agencies took a bad situation and made it "exponentially worse" for students.

"All of the people in positions of trust failed these 1,000 plus nursing students that were at Stone Academy," said Slossberg.

Slossberg says the state overstepped, declaring 76% of students' class hours invalid after an audit students couldn't appeal.

The independent audit, released in July, found that 76% of students’ class hours were invalid and 21% of their instructors were unqualified.

"Much of it was based on a claim that there was inadequate record keeping." Slossberg said, "not that the students didn't go to the classes, not that they didn't do the work, not that they didn't pass the classes. Somehow, Stone Academy's record keeping was inadequate."

The Attorney General's Office, which isn't named in the suit, but has been involved in efforts to hold Stone Academy accountable, released a statement saying "While we are reviewing this lawsuit, we will continue to hold Stone and its owners accountable for their greedy, self-serving decisions which cost Stone's students years of time and money.