Diversity Programs Could Take Center Stage
The Brooks College Class Action Lawsuit involves a case that was won by the plaintiffs and they are seeking damages to compensate them for their loss. The class action lawsuit involved six different plaintiffs who filed suits against Brooks University claiming they were improperly denied admission to the college when applying via the internet.
In addition, there were two additional plaintiffs who filed suits which claimed they suffered greatly as a result of being wrongfully dismissed from the college for what they considered to be discriminatory reasons. The school was found to have discriminated against these applicants by requiring them to take a specialized course in electronics or failing to grant their requests for admittance based on their race, gender, religion and other factors.
Brooks College Class Action Lawsuit
Brooks College is a Roman Catholic college that received its charter from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops back in 1972. It is a reputed university that offers a number of programs for people of different ethnic backgrounds including those from African-American, Hispanic and Asian American backgrounds.
The lawsuit was filed by the Hispanic National Association for Lawsuit Settlement and was joined in by the African American Legal Aid Society and the Office of Minority Affairs. These groups are filing similar lawsuits against other schools across the nation. The claims in this Brooks College class action lawsuit include mental and physical torture that was inflicted upon the plaintiffs while they were admitted and denied access to fair housing and equal opportunities in education.
The complaint also includes claims for false arrest and invasion of privacy as a result of the defendants discriminating against and harassing the Latino students.
Also claimed in the lawsuit are claims for battery and false imprisonment as a result of the defendants denying benefits to plaintiffs who belong to the legally defined minorities. There are also claims for violation of the rights to work and to seek equal employment in violation of the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. These cases are all being handled by the same attorney, because all the claims here are related to the treatment of the Latino students in the school.
Many people wonder if this is a class action lawsuit and will it force Brooks College to change their policy and allow Latinx students to be admitted on an equal basis with other students?
This is most likely not, but it may become part of a class action lawsuit. If the allegations are true and the school does not acknowledge or deny the claims, the lawsuit could lead to major changes in how this school does business. It could also lead to major changes in how other schools treat minorities and women in general. The fact that Brooks is the home of affirmative action and diversity programs that are designed to help minorities and women is on the line here.
There is already a class action lawsuit against another school, the University of North Carolina, over the Affirmative Action policy.
Another suit is pending in Florida against the University of Miami. While these lawsuits are pending, Brooks College is standing firm on their policies and denies all claims of discrimination. While the current case is currently going on, class action lawsuits on behalf of the Latinos and Women at Brooks College have yet to be filed. So far, no one from the college has filed a lawsuit.
So, is this situation similar to the OJ Simpson case? Unfortunately, the answer is no.
However, it is certainly interesting to follow and watch a civil rights lawsuit like this play out in the court system. If the allegations in this case are true (and we don’t know the particulars, as this litigation is in early stages), there is a strong likelihood that Brooks College will be sued for not abiding by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. If the Department of Education enacts a policy requiring colleges to admit students based on race or gender, this may put Brooks College in a tough spot.
