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Ortolano v. City of Nashua, NH

D.N.H.March 10, 2025No. 1:22-cv-00326
Plaintiff WinThe New School
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Case Details

Nature of Suit — the legal category of the dispute
440 Civil Rights: Other
Status — whether other courts must follow this ruling
Unknown
Procedural Posture — the stage the case had reached
motion to dismiss

Related Laws

No specific laws identified for this ruling.

Claim Types

Breach of Contract

Outcome

Court denied defendant The New School's motion to dismiss plaintiff's breach of contract and unjust enrichment claims for tuition reimbursement related to COVID-19 shift to remote learning, finding plaintiff adequately alleged an implied contract for in-person educational services.

What This Ruling Means

**What Happened** This case involved students who sued The New School, claiming they deserved tuition refunds for Spring 2020 when the college switched to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The students argued that the school broke its contract by not providing the in-person education they paid for, and that it was unfair for the school to keep their full tuition money when classes moved online. **What the Court Decided** The court allowed the students' lawsuit to move forward. The New School had asked the court to dismiss the case entirely, but the judge refused. The court found that the students had valid legal claims for breach of contract and unjust enrichment that deserved to be heard in court. **Why This Matters for Workers** While this case involves students rather than employees, it shows how courts handle situations where institutions don't deliver what was promised during the pandemic. The ruling suggests that when organizations significantly change what they provide, people may have valid claims for compensation. This could apply to similar workplace situations where employers made major changes to working conditions or benefits during COVID-19.

This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.

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This ruling information is sourced from public court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes, claim types, and summaries are extracted using AI analysis and may be incomplete or inaccurate. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

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