Suing private school for negligence/fraud?

RTF787

New Member
Jurisdiction
California
I'm finished with a masters journalism program with a major private university in California. Over the course of my experience, I've felt I was lied to, and misled, discriminated and mentally/emotionally abused faculty. Below is a lengthy synopsis of my experience.

It started right after I was admitted in spring 2017. I told Betty, the woman who's the director of the program and one of the teachers, over the phone that I felt I might be overqualified based on where I was in my career and that the benefit I'd receive from the program would be minimal, considering how many of the jobs that recent alumni receive are those that I can receive on my own. Betty dispels this notion, telling me that no matter where I was, the program would make me better. I believe, though, she specifically wanted to recruit me as a marketing chip based on my career prestige, and put me in some sort of unofficial adjunct lecturer role based on my advanced skill set.

Betty was initially helpful in getting me one scholarship (a decent chunk but not full ride) based on the notion I become a full-time student. Betty was also open that I probably wouldn't get two other particular scholarships because I wasn't diverse. Still, she found a different second one that came later in the spring, when Betty told me other people declined the school. When I tried exploring the possibility of doing the program part-time, I was first told there is no right or wrong way to do the program, but was later told that full-time is substantially better.

In late spring, I agree to do the program, which started with a four-week summer course from 9-4 each day. I tell Betty that it's really important for me to have a job during that point, whether it be media-related or even just Uber driving. Betty tells me it's impossible to have a part-time or full-time job during this time. I'd later find out a woman in our program named Mandy had a job that entire time of the summer course that Betty knew about.

Throughout the summer class, I also noticed I was getting high level job interviews that nobody else in the program was. I told these to Betty and she always seemed nervous about them, trying to get me to not take them because if I did, she'd be afraid of me dropping out of school entirely at some point. It was clear though what she was doing: Betty knew I was too overqualified/too advanced, but just didn't want me to think that.

A requirement of my scholarships is I have to maintain a 3.0 GPA. I left class early during a pop quiz of sorts, thinking that even with the 0 on this assignment, I'm still in comfortable position for a B. I later received an email from the school's director stating all exams are required and if I don't tell him a good reason right now for why I left, i'll be kicked out of the program. Nowhere in our syllabus does it say all exams are required.

We exchange four emails, his hostile and threatening. The director does say though that if I feel like I might be overqualified, I should drop out. Problem is while I feel overqualified for this class, I'm not sure about the program as a whole since I haven't done them yet, and there have been other people who've done this whose careers I would want to emulate. Director also says that part of coming here was building a network and that "I wasn't having very much success with that," without providing any specific details. I believe the director, whom has never actually met me in person to this point, broke some sort of ADA disability law/statute and discriminated against me since I indicated I had a disability on my application (Bi-polar disorder), and that saying i wasn't succeeding at networking (something that is difficult with the condition) without providing evidence is illegal.

I talk with Betty and another one of my teacher's about everything and potentially dropping out. Betty says something trying to guilt-trip me/keep me to stay, that she took me in because she believed in how good I was and how good at my ideal career path (film reviewing), and that if I did this program and didn't give it my all, I'd regret it for the rest of my life. I choose to stick with the program, based on Betty's confidence that my ideal career path was achievable.

The first week of Fall classes, Betty tells everyone that she is banning all film reviews from our little student magazine we have to run, commenting on how reviews are stupid and the job of a reviewer is outdated and dying, completely contradicting what she told me earlier. My heart sinks to my stomach, it's either like she completely forgot or didn't mean what she said to me, or that she was just waiting until I didn't drop out to say that.

Betty also attempts me multiple times to get me to come to the school's media center (think of a big computer lab) to teach everyone how to edit video, since I did that in my past job. The request seems weird though, like she wants me to teach everyone even though I'm not being paid.

Betty becomes the chief reviewer of my Masters thesis. In our first meeting, she asks me what my dream job is after this program. I'm taken aback by the question, as literally every single conversation I've had with her over the past few months has been about me wanting to be a reviewer. Betty looks at me and says "oh...," lacking the same confidence she displayed when using my career goals as a means of getting me to not drop out.

In October, I get a part-time job doing writing for a Hollywood awards show. I'm excited about this, it's something somewhat related to my career goals, and is really something that could benefit the program later on. Betty constantly forgets or chooses to ignore that I have this job. What she does start doing though is asking me every monday, the same day I have to work, if I will be in the computer lab that day. I tell Betty "I can't, I have to work every Monday and Friday until Thanksgiving break." That doesn't stop her from asking regularly on every monday.

Mid-October, I'm taking a class at the university's film school and am having a casual conversation with my professor, someone with a lot of books published and is super smart about movies/media. I'm telling the professor about my career background and prior jobs and her face becomes increasingly befuddled as I speak, until she finally says "sounds like you really don't need this degree." I'm caught off guard and don't know what to say.

During a meeting, I would casually show Betty my work portfolio, to which Betty would say no one else in the class has something like this, hinting how I was overqualified/more accomplished than everyone else. But any time I suggested I might be too advanced, Betty would squash those notions.

Betty is also trying to get me to come to computer lab so I can work with this one established radio guy on my personal project. Betty criticizes me for wanting to do the project on my own, saying established radio guy is dying to work with me. I feel terrible like I'm screwing up the chance to work with him, but at our winter drink event, Radio guy waits for when Betty gets out of view and says "hey (my name), I don't know why Betty is trying to get us to work together so much, it seems like you're doing fine with your project on your own."

In the fall semester, Betty would jump back and forth between my career goals and how realistic they were, never staying consistent. During a field trip, she suggested the possibility of me becoming a reviewer/critic at one particular newspaper and if I'd like that, which I said "yeah of course!" At the same drinks thing with radio guy, Betty then asked if I still talk to my old coworkers at my job before this program and that it's never a good idea to burn bridges, as if I'd need to ask for my old job back since this new career path isn't possible.

In spring, during thesis meetings, she'd ask me verbatim if I was going back to my old job once this program is done. She also accused me of saying a particular complaint in the anonymous review of the program all students are required to complete. And then also state that if I felt this wasn't worth it, then I should leave. And then she'd just regularly forget things.

But throughout my entire time in the program, I had made it clear to Betty that I wanted to emulate the path and receive the same type of position one of the program's alumni Monica did years ago, who has (or had) a pretty sweet gig film reviewing with a prestigious publication. Anytime Betty would ask about career plans, I'd ask something akin to "well how did Monica do it?" to which Betty would provide vague answers like being herself, trying her best, that sort of thing. Betty wouldn't tell me until late spring that Monica's diversity program at that publication had been cut from the budget, that this person who I was trying to emulate, I'd never have their success or achieve what they did because they got in through a diversity program.

Throughout the program, Betty would often make comments about my personality and behavior, stuff like how she thought it was weird I didn't go to a particular social function even though I explained why I couldn't go, calling me a loner or saying that I just hate people, despite my constant attempts to build connections with the 10 other people in my class. I'd hear from a few couple that they too thought people in our group were rude, reserved and closed off, but only Betty would berate me for it.

Now that the program is done, I find myself grappled by constant stress and anxiety, like a PTSD of sorts and I find my physical health has been impaired. I was regularly lied to in the program and feel worse off now for having this degree. And I believe I was discriminated against because of my disability. Apologies for the lengthiness, but any guidance on what might be possible is greatly appreciated.
 
. I believe the director, whom has never actually met me in person to this point, broke some sort of ADA disability law/statute and discriminated against me since I indicated I had a disability on my application (Bi-polar disorder), and that saying i wasn't succeeding at networking (something that is difficult with the condition) without providing evidence is illegal.

No, it's not. That's absolute balderdash.

I am seeing nothing in your far too lengthy post that provides you with any kind of legal recourse.
 
Apologies for the lengthiness, but any guidance on what might be possible is greatly appreciated.


Very few, if any posters, will read massive manifestos.

You are free to speak to lawyers near your present location.

Most lawyers will meet with a potential client initially for 15-30 minutes to discuss and assess a possible case for free.

If money is tight, ask about costs before you confirm any meeting.
 
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