NOTICE OF PROPOSED SETTLEMENT OF CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT
Keenhol v. DeSales University, Case No. 5:24-cv-01083 (E.D. Pa.)
If you were a student enrolled at DeSales University (“DeSales”) during the Spring 2020 semester; paid all or part of the tuition and/or mandatory fees for the Spring 2020 semester; and were enrolled for the Spring 2020 semester in at least one class that was meeting in person and on campus at the beginning of the Spring 2020 semester, you are part of the proposed settlement class (a “Settlement Class Member”) affected by this lawsuit.
If you are a Settlement Class Member, you do not have to do anything to participate in and receive the benefits of the proposed Settlement.
In this Action, Plaintiff alleged DeSales breached a contract when it transitioned to remote learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plaintiff also alleged that DeSales’s shift to remote learning gave rise to a claim of unjust enrichment. Plaintiff sought a refund of a portion of the tuition and mandatory fees for the Spring 2020 semester. DeSales denies all allegations of wrongdoing and there has been no finding of liability in any court. However, considering the interests of both DeSales and its students in prompt resolution of the matter, DeSales and Plaintiff have agreed that DeSales will pay $518,710 into a Settlement Fund to resolve the Action.
The class action being settled is captioned Keenhol v. DeSales University, Case No. 5:24-cv-01083 (E.D. Pa.). This case is a putative class action, meaning that the Settlement Class Representative—Jeffrey Logan Keenhol—brought this action as an individual acting on behalf of a putative class of students who paid tuition and/or mandatory fees for the Spring 2020 semester at DeSales. The Settlement Class Representative alleged claims for breach of contract and unjust enrichment. With the help of a mediator, the Parties came to the proposed Settlement.
If you were a student enrolled at DeSales during the Spring 2020 semester; paid all or part of the tuition and/or mandatory fees for the Spring 2020 semester; and were enrolled in at least one class that was meeting in person and on campus at the beginning of the Spring 2020 semester; then you are part of the proposed settlement class (a “Settlement Class Member”). If you are a Settlement Class Member, you do not have to do anything to participate in and receive the benefits of the proposed Settlement.
Your payment will be sent automatically by first class U.S. Mail to your last known mailing address on file with the DeSales. Class Members will also have the option to submit an Election Form and choose one of the following selections: (a) provide an updated address for sending a check; or (b) elect to receive the Settlement Benefit by Venmo or PayPal instead of a paper check. To elect how you would like to receive your Settlement Benefit or update your address, click the Election Form tab above and complete the Election Form using the Class Member code provided in your Notice. This action must be taken no later than forty-five (45) days after the Effective Date, as defined in the proposed Settlement. That date will also be posted on this website when it is known, but it will be some time after the Final Approval Hearing, currently scheduled for SEPTEMBER 12, 2025.
By participating in the proposed Settlement, you release your right to bring any claim covered by the proposed Settlement, including bringing any claim related to DeSales’s transition to remote learning in the Spring 2020 semester, or joining any other action against DeSales related to DeSales’s transition to remote learning in the Spring 2020 semester.
If you do not want to participate in this proposed Settlement— meaning you do not want to receive the Settlement Benefit, and you do not want to be bound by any judgment entered in this case—you may exclude yourself by mailing a signed opt-out request to the Settlement Administrator, which must be postmarked no later than SEPTEMBER 1, 2025. Be aware that the statute of limitations may impact your ability to file a lawsuit. If you instead want to object to this proposed Settlement because you think it is not fair, adequate, or reasonable, you may submit an objection, which also must be postmarked no later than SEPTEMBER 1, 2025.
Please follow the detailed instructions outlined in the Long Form Notice and the Settlement Agreement to properly opt-out from, or object to, the proposed Settlement.
The Court has preliminarily approved the proposed Settlement, but the distribution of payments will occur only if the Court grants final approval of the proposed Settlement. The Final Approval Hearing in this case is scheduled for SEPTEMBER 12, 2025. At that hearing, the Court will consider whether to grant final approval of the proposed Settlement, and whether to approve payment from the Settlement Fund of Class Counsel’s requested attorneys’ fees, which will not exceed thirty-three and one-third percent of the Settlement Fund and will be posted on this website after AUGUST 18, 2025, and reimbursement for litigation costs
To review the Long Form Notice, review other important documents, including the Settlement Agreement, and obtain more information about the proposed Settlement, please click on the appropriate tabs at the top of this page.
PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT OR DESALES CONCERNING THIS NOTICE OR THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT.