A class action lawsuit over George Brown College’s 2007 International Business Program description has reached a settlement, after Ontario Superior Court Judge Edward Belobaba ruled in the favour of 108 George Brown students in 2012.
The international students will receive up to $22,484, the domestic students will receive up to $16,427 each, and the three leaders of the class action suit were allotted an additional $10,000 for their time. The total amounts to $2.75 million, which Judge Belobaba believed to be “generous and fair.”
The students had accused the school of using misleading advertising materials, which promised three industry credentials in international trade, customs services, and international freight forwarding. The certificate only prepared students to take the tests for these accreditations,which had to be done at an additional cost.
The college has acknowledged that their material could be misinterpreted and the need to be careful and critical when writing consumer marketing promises.
With files from The Toronto Star.
