Students Who Paid to Attend Inauguration Sue (328 hits)
WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawsuit was filed in federal court Wednesday on behalf of more than 15,000 students who paid thousands to attend President Barack Obama's inauguration but reportedly were left out in the cold. The lawsuit filed in Washington says Vienna, Va.-based Envision EMI promised middle, high school and college students across the country special access to the inauguration, parade and a black tie inaugural ball on Jan. 20.
But the lawsuit, filed by attorneys of two students, says once the students got to Washington, they had no tickets for the inauguration or parade. And the balls they attended were not official events connected to the inauguration. Envision, a for-profit company that reportedly brought in $40 million from the inaugural sales, has said it would refund students $1 million. But the lawsuit says that would only reimburse each attendee about $65. The students were charged $2,380 to $2,620 and also had to pay for travel to Washington, formal wear for the ball and in some cases extra meals not included in the base cost.
"These kids took odd jobs and raised funds from family, friends and strangers in order to participate in the defendants' inaugural youth conference to eyewitness a truly historical event," said Bernard DiMuro of DiMuroGinsberg PC, which filed the lawsuit jointly with another law firm, Hausfeld LLP. "Instead all they saw was the inside of a bus or were dropped off near the Washington Monument to fend for themselves." DiMuro represents eighth-grader Dash Radosti of Herndon, Va., and University of California Davis junior Joshua Rottman of Danville, Calif. He hopes others join the lawsuit and get the court to certify it as a class action.
The lawsuit asks that each student get a full refund and reimbursement for travel costs, along with other financial penalties to be determined by the court, and that the company be prevented from such deceptive offers in the future. It does not ask for a specific dollar amount. In a statement, the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, which is run by Envision, said the vast majority of students had a "worthwhile and high-value educational experience." "For those who had expressed concerns to us, we have worked with each family through a uniform and thorough process and have resolved almost all of the concerns or questions that have come to us," the statement said. "Beyond that, we will not comment on pending litigation other than to say we intend to vigorously defend ourselves"...
