Vatterott College ordered to pay woman $13 million

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri woman who sued Vatterott College over its enrollment practices won a $13 million judgment against the college.

Jennifer Kerr, 42, of Belton said the enrollment procedures caused her to spend thousands of dollars and extra time earning a certificate that proved to be useless in the job market.

A finding by a Jackson County jury for Kerr is likely to be appealed and the punitive amount the jury awarded far exceeds the maximum allowed under Missouri law, The Kansas City Star reported.

In her lawsuit, Kerr said she went to the school in 2009 with plans to become a nurse. Vatterott doesn't offer a nursing program, but a representative told her she could enroll in a medical assistant's degree, which would help her eventually become a nurse, according to the lawsuit.

After taking out more than $27,000 in loans and being in the program for nearly 60 weeks, Kerr said she was told she actually was enrolled in a preliminary medical office assistant's program. To get the medical assistant's degree, she would need to take a total of 90 weeks and spend at least $10,000 more, the lawsuit alleged.

"I was shocked and devastated," Kerr said. "I felt very deceived. I was totally deceived."

A Jackson County jury last Friday found that the Missouri-based Vatterott Educational Centers Inc. had violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. It ordered the corporation to pay Kerr $27,676 in actual damages and $13 million in punitive damages.

However, under state law, the most Kerr could receive is the greater of either $500,000 or five times actual damages plus other expenses, including legal fees, said her attorney, Martin Meyers.

"I asked for $2 million to $4 million in punitive damages," Meyers said. "They came back with $13 million."

Vatterott officials issued a statement defending the school's policies. Vatterott has 19 locations in nine states, most in Missouri, along with a large online enrollment, according to the company's website.

Kerr said while searching for a job for six months, she discovered the medical office assistant certificate she earned was not necessary to become a medical office secretary. Kerr now works full-time making baked goods for a large corporation.

"For a long time, I was just devastated and depressed," said Kerr, a single mother of two children. "The diploma I got was worthless."

She said it's important Vatterott has been held accountable in court.

"I feel like, I mean, it's wonderful," Kerr said. "The truth finally came out. Not just for me, but for everyone like me who was fooled."

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com