Pa. Federal Judge Tosses COVID-19 Tuition Refund Action Against Temple

PHILADELPHIA — A Pennsylvania federal judge has dismissed a COVID-19 tuition refund action against Temple University, ruling that it never contractually promised to provide exclusively in-person classroom instruction.

In an April 24 order, Judge John M. Gallagher of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania rejected plaintiffs’ argument that an implied contract existed between themselves and Temple, ruling that the existence of an actual contract defeats their claim.

Brooke Ryan and Christina Fusca sued Temple on behalf of themselves and a proposed class of students, contending they were deprived of “the benefits of in-person instruction, access to …