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Richland woman files suit over
daughter's short stay at school : Prestigious academy made girl's
behavior worse, mother says
September 4, 2007
By Scott Kraus
Susan Casey of Richland Township
hoped a year at the prestigious all-girls Linden Academy in
Lancaster County would straighten out her daughter Christina.
But in the end, it only made her
more difficult, Casey alleges in a lawsuit filed Friday in Bucks
County Court.
Casey alleges in the suit that
after three weeks marked by ''risky behaviors'' such as alcohol and
drug abuse at the 260-year-old boarding school, her daughter, who
suffers from mental health issues and behavioral problems, stole her
car and ran away for two days, refusing to go back.
''Plaintiff was induced to place
her daughter at defendant's school due to the representations that
they specialized in children with behavioral problems,'' the suit
says.
What's worse, the suit says, even
though Christina spent only 23 days at the school last year, Linden
refused to refund even a prorated amount of her $34,800 tuition
payment when she withdrew her daughter from the school.
Casey is suing the school for
fraud, breach of contract, unjust enrichment and misrepresentation
of fact and asking for more than $50,000 in compensation, plus
attorney fees, punitive damages, interests and legal costs.
Headmaster David Stumpo said he
could not comment.
''We have a clearly worded contract
that legally obligates a family that joins us for a year,'' Stumpo
said.
The suit does not include the
daughter's age.
The school's Web site, which
features picturesque views of the rural campus and images of teenage
girls on horseback and in front of computers, says, ''Our community
values scholarly achievement, character development, cultural
awareness, and physical wellness, as it strives to prepare young
women to assume the leadership roles of their generation.''
The school is considered the
nation's oldest all-girls boarding school.
According to the suit, the contract
called for a $2,000, nonrefundable enrollment deposit, and Casey
paid the balance of the $34,800 tuition for seven-day boarding in
June 2006. When her daughter withdrew, she requested a prorated
refund so she would have the money needed to enroll her daughter in
another secure facility.
The suit says Stumpo asked
initially for medical documentation of her daughter's condition, but
despite receiving it, refused to refund any of the tuition money.
The lawsuit says the contract was
''misleading and deceptive'' because it called both for an
unrefundable, $2,000 deposit in bold type but also includes
contradictory language about unconditionally forfeiting all tuition.
And it charges the school breached the enrollment agreement by
failing to provide a safe, secure environment.
As a result, Casey has suffered
financial loss, mental anguish and the inability to place her
daughter in an appropriate program, the suit says. She did not
respond to a telephone call seeking comment.
scott.kraus@mcall.com
215-230-4930
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