A new lawsuit claims Eastern Illinois University has illegally withheld college transcripts from students who owe unpaid debts to the college, even though such practices have been made illegal in Illinois.
Jasmine Chatman, on behalf of herself and others, filed a new class action lawsuit against Eastern Illinois University in Cook County Circuit Court on May 31. The complaint alleges EIU in downstate Charleston illegally withheld an unspecified amount of transcripts from students supposedly due to unpaid college debt. Chatman is alleging that EIU is in violation of the Illinois Student Debt Assistance Act and the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Protection Act.
The practice of withholding transcripts for unpaid college debt, even library fines, is a longstanding university tradition. It can mean any college debt, even something as seemingly trivial as a book fine or a parking ticket, can prevent students from having access to their transcripts.
According to court documents, Chatman owed EIU for tuition that the college contends was unpaid at the time of her request. At that time, Illinois had already passed laws prohibiting such practices. That debt was in the form of a Pell Grant – money which EIU provided to her and which EIU alleges is owed to them.
In May 2022, Illinois lawmakers enacted the Student Debt Assistance Act (SDAA), also known as SB 3032, which prohibited institutions from denying former students their academic transcripts because of unresolved debts. Additionally, an amended version of the law was passed on May 23, 2023 that also requires schools to provide official transcripts if the former student needs them to apply to another education institution – regardless of whether the former student owes a debt or not.
According to the complaint, Chatman was applying to multiple schools at the time to continue her education and was accepted at Franklin University of Ohio. Acceptance was conditional upon her providing them with a copy of her transcript from EIU. Otherwise, her admission will be withdrawn, and she will be forced to leave her new school, Chatman contends in the complaint.
Chatman contends and alleges that EIU willfully and repeatedly withheld her academic transcripts from being transmitted to Franklin University as a way of collecting the alleged debt.
This most recent class action by Chatman comes shortly on the heels of a nearly identical class action also filed by Chatman this past February accusing Northwestern Business College (not affiliated with Northwestern University) of similar alleged violations of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Protection Act and the SDAA. She claimed that as a result of being unable to obtain her transcripts, she was unable to start school at another school.
In both cases, Chatman is seeking to collect damages on behalf of herself and all other affected students.
Chatman is demanding a trial by jury and is seeking actual and punitive damages, as well as court costs and legal fees.
Chatman is represented by attorney Michael W. Drew, of Neighborhood Legal, of Chicago.