Elena Botts v. Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University Settlement
Case No.: 1:20-cv-01335-JRR

Frequently Asked Questions

 

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  • You received Notice because Defendant’s records show that you were enrolled as a student at Johns Hopkins University in the Spring 2020 Semester affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, paid some amount for tuition or student fees for in-person educational services, and may therefore be an eligible Settlement Class member.

  • A class action is a lawsuit where one or more persons sue not only for themselves, but also for other people who have similar claims. These similarly situated people are known as Settlement Class members. In a class action, one court resolves the issues for all class members, except for those who exclude themselves from the Class. The Honorable Julie R. Rubin, United States District Judge, is presiding over the Litigation.

  • Based upon Class Counsel’s analysis and evaluation of the merits of the claims made against Defendant in the Litigation and the substantial risks associated with continued litigation, including the possibility that the Litigation, if not settled now, might not result in any recovery whatsoever, or might result in a recovery that is less favorable and that would not occur for several years, Plaintiff and Defendant entered into this proposed settlement. Class Counsel is satisfied that the terms and conditions of the Settlement Agreement are fair, reasonable, and adequate, and that the Settlement is in the best interest of Settlement Class members.

  • Each Settlement Class member who does not opt out of the Litigation will receive a proportionate share of the Settlement Fund depending upon how much in tuition and fees they paid to Defendant for in-person educational services for the Spring 2020 Semester. These amounts include out-of-pocket payments and payments financed by student loans. Scholarships provided by Defendant do not count toward the amount considered paid, so someone who received little or no scholarship support would receive more under the Settlement Agreement than someone who received substantial scholarship support from Defendant.

  • This lawsuit was brought by Named Plaintiff Elena Botts, who took a lead role in the Litigation and assisted in its resolution. In addition to her proportional share as described in FAQ 4, the Court has awarded her an additional $12,500 from the original Settlement Fund and $3,266.30 from the Additional Students Settlement Fund to reflect the time and energy she expended on behalf of herself and Settlement Class members. The Court may choose to award a different amount.

  • You do not need to do anything to participate in the settlement. If you do not respond, we will mail you a check after the Court approves the Settlement.

    Additionally, the Litigation will be dismissed with prejudice and Settlement Class members who do not opt out will fully release and discharge Defendant. This means that you cannot sue, continue to sue, or be party of any other lawsuit against Defendant regarding the claims brought in this case. It also means that all of the Court’s orders will apply to you and legally bind you. The specific claims you are giving up against Defendant are described in Section 4.3.1 of the Settlement Agreement, which can be found on the Important Documents page of the Settlement Website.

  • The deadline for Additional Students to exclude themselves to the Settlement was November 13, 2023, and has passed.

  • No. Unless you excluded yourself, you gave up any rights to sue the Defendant for claims brought in this case or which could have been brought in this case. If you have a pending lawsuit, speak to your lawyer in that case immediately to see if the Settlement will affect your other case. The exclusion deadline has passed for both the initial class and the Additional Students.

  • No. If you excluded yourself, you will not receive any payment from the Settlement Fund.

  • Yes. The Court appointed the following attorneys as “Class Counsel” to represent you and the other Settlement Class members:

    James A. Francis
    John Soumilas
    Jordan M. Sartell
    FRANCIS MAILMAN SOUMILAS, P.C.
    1600 Market St., STE 2510
    Philadelphia, PA 19103
    (215) 735-8600

    Kevin C. Mallon
    FRANCIS MAILMAN SOUMILAS, P.C.
    One Liberty Plaza, STE 2301
    New York, NY 10006
    (646) 759-3663

    Courtney Weiner
    LAW OFFICE OF COURTNEY WEINER PLLC
    1629 K Street NW, STE 300
    Washington, DC 20006
    (202) 827-9980

     

    You will not be charged for these lawyers. You will not be charged for calling, emailing, or speaking confidentially to Class Counsel. You are permitted to call Class Counsel with any questions and such communications will be confidential and protected. Class Counsel’s fees are being paid from the total settlement fund as part of the Settlement and are subject to the approval of the Court. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

  • The Court has approved payments of attorney’s fees and costs of no more than Two Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,200,000.00) from the original Settlement fund and Five-Hundred Seventy-Four Thousand Eight-Hundred Sixty-Nine Dollars and Twenty-Three Cents ($574,869.23) from the Additional Students Settlement Fund, which represents one-third (⅓) of both Settlement Funds. This payment is to compensate Class Counsel for the work they have performed in the Litigation including filing pleadings and briefs, investigating the facts, conducting discovery, attending court conferences, participating in settlement discussions, and negotiating and overseeing the settlement.

  • The deadline for Additional Students to object to the Settlement was November 13, 2023, and has passed. The Settlement has been approved by the courts and is final.

  • Objecting is simply telling the Court that you do not like something about the settlement. You can object only if you stay in the Class. Excluding yourself from the settlement (“opting out”) is telling the Court that you do not want to be part of the Class. If you exclude yourself, you have no basis to object because the case no longer affects you.

    If you send an objection, it is not necessary for you to come to Court to talk about it, but you may do so at your own expense or pay your own lawyer to attend. As long as you mailed your written objection on time, the Court will consider it. If you do attend the hearing, it is possible that you will not be permitted to speak unless you timely object in writing as described above and notify the Court of your intention to appear at the fairness hearing.

  • The Court has granted approval of the Addendum to the Settlement in December 2023. The Court ultimately considered whether the terms of the settlement were fair, reasonable, and adequate – after reviewing submissions by the Parties, which are publicly available via Pacer.gov and will be posted on the Important Documents page of the Settlement Website.

  • More details are in the Settlement Agreement, which can be found on the Important Documents page of the Settlement Website.

For More Information

Visit this website often to get the most up-to-date information.

Mail
Elena Botts v. Johns Hopkins University
c/o JND Legal Administration
PO Box 91379
Seattle, WA 98111