(RestoreAmericanGlory.com) – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently initiated legal action against Grand Canyon University (GCU), marking the second instance of a Biden administration agency targeting the largest Christian university in the United States in recent months. GCU perceives these actions as a coordinated effort by various agencies against the institution.
In a press statement, the FTC disclosed that it has filed a lawsuit in federal court against GCU, along with its marketing arm, Grand Canyon Education, Inc., and its President and CEO, Brian Mueller. The lawsuit alleges that these entities engaged in deceptive advertising and unlawful telemarketing practices.
The FTC’s complaint asserts that GCU, located in Arizona, misrepresented the duration of its accelerated doctoral programs to prospective students. It also accuses the university of falsely marketing itself as a nonprofit organization and making illegal contact with prospective students who had submitted their details on the university’s website but had explicitly requested not to be contacted.
Samuel Levine, the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection Director, commented, “Grand Canyon deceived students by falsely presenting itself as a nonprofit and misleading them about the costs and coursework needed for doctoral degrees. We are committed to rigorously pursuing entities that exploit students.”
The complaint accuses GCU of breaching the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule. The FTC is seeking court intervention to mandate compensation for consumers affected by these alleged violations and to prevent further legal breaches by the university.
GCU’s response to this lawsuit was not immediately available, but Brian Mueller previously expressed to Fox News Digital his belief that the university is being unjustly targeted by the Biden administration. He pointed to the involvement of multiple federal agencies in this alleged attack on the school.
Following this, the Department of Education (DOE) imposed a significant fine of $37.7 million on GCU. This penalty came after a Federal Student Aid office investigation found that GCU had misrepresented the cost of its doctoral programs to thousands of students. The DOE stated that GCU falsely promoted a lower cost for these programs, with approximately 98% of students eventually paying more than the advertised price.
Mueller has suggested that these federal probes are linked to the DOE’s 2018 rejection of GCU’s attempt to transition into a nonprofit status for federal student financial aid purposes, resulting in the university still being classified as a for-profit entity. Last month, Mueller announced GCU’s intention to contest the DOE’s fine — the largest ever issued by the agency — maintaining that the university does not mislead or deceive its students.
Copyright 2024, RestoreAmericanGlory.com
