Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has sued JLF University, Inc. and affiliated entities, in Miramar, Fla., for defrauding medical and nursing students.
The owner, Joseph LaFortune, allegedly promised students that they would eligible for licensure upon graduation. After completing the programs, the students learned that because the medicine and nursing programs are not accredited or approved, they would not be eligible for licensure in Florida.
“Defrauding hardworking students who are aspiring to become nurses or doctors is appalling,” said Attorney General Bondi. “I am committed to holding schools accountable, and misrepresentation of credentials, which robs students of time and money, will not be tolerated.”
Students enrolled in the nursing program were required to pay from $7,000 to $15,000 for a year-long program taught in Miami, Fla., with several weeks of clinical practice in Jamaica. When the students demanded refunds from the school, Mr. LaFortune allegedly offered to allow the students to “transfer” to Green Cross School of Nursing, which is owned by his wife, Aline LaFortune, for an additional payment of $7,000. Graduates of Green Cross are eligible to be licensed by the Florida Board of Nursing.
The lawsuit was filed in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and seeks an order enjoining the school from misrepresenting its qualifications and programs, requiring restitution for the students, and imposing civil penalties for alleged violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
