Students Will Receive Big Payout in Lawsuit Against Le Cordon Bleu

The former students of a now-defunct Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Portland, Oregon, could have a big check coming their way. A class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of 2,200 students at the for-profit cooking school is on its way to settlement, with Le Cordon Bleu agreeing to pay back 44 percent of its students’ tuition or loan amounts, KGW reports.

The settlement will end a decade-long legal battle against the school and its parent company Career Education Corporation. Students at Le Cordon Bleu and Western Culinary Institute claimed the school advertised itself as highly selective and prestigious, but in reality offered low-quality materials and provided training that only qualified graduates for entry-level, low-paid positions. The lawsuit further alleges that Career Education Corporation encouraged students to take out predatory loans because it had a secret deal with loan company Sallie Mae to overcharge students by 44 percent.

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