Published: May 17, 2008 02:13 am            

Class action suit possible over value of WVU degrees

CHARLESTON — Two local lawyers are touting a possible class action suit based on the possibility that West Virginia University degrees are less valuable since the university has been accused of manufacturing a master’s degree for the governor’s daughter.

The Charleston law firm run by Greg Chiartas and Bruce Freeman has been running a newspaper advertisement that reads, “Attention Graduating WVU Seniors — Do you feel that the Heather Bresch scandal has reduced the value of your college degree?”

The ad began running in Charleston newspapers this week and will continue through the weekend, when WVU’s graduation ceremonies will be in full swing.

Chiartas said he didn’t just drum up the idea of turning the university’s embarrassment into a moneymaker.

“I’ve had calls from several parents and one student who were concerned about the value of the degree,” he said. “One was trying to get into grad school and one was looking for a job.

“In each instance people made remarks about obtaining their degree through a drive-up window,” he said.

“I’m a grad of WVU,” Chiartas said. “And it made me feel terrible for those who have put in tremendous hours to earn a degree.”

WVU has been at the center of a firestorm for several months, since it was revealed that administrators last fall gave Bresch, the daughter of Gov. Joe Manchin, an Executive Master’s of Business Administration degree with no proof that she had earned it.

The Bresch story isn’t strictly a local one. News media across the country, including the New York Times, The Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Inquirer, USA Today, MSNBC and NPR have followed the story. It’s even made it to Wikipedia and YouTube.

Now some are wondering if the scandal might come down to dollars and cents for WVU graduates.

Chiartas said, “I look at my own degree, and I think, gosh, as a person trying to get into grad school — there’s an administration counselor looking at a degree from WVU and a degree from, say, Pitt. I wonder if the person from Pitt is going to get the nod because of this scandal?”

The attorney said that depending on what kind of response they get from potential plaintiffs, a lawsuit could result against the WVU Board of Governors for negligently hiring President Mike Garrison and ultimately laying the foundation for the degree foul-up.

Garrison, who was chief of staff for former Gov. Bob Wise, has close ties to Heather Bresch and the Manchin family. Many faculty members at WVU and in the general public have called on him to resign.

As for whether potential employers will consider the degree scandal when reviewing credentials of WVU graduates, “I don’t know if it’s happening, or if it’s just snickering going on,” Chiartas said.

Damages could be difficult to determine, but not impossible, he said.

“We’d obviously have to have an expert in academics to determine whether or not you could put a figure on that,” he said. “A degree is a very non-tangible type thing and clearly hard to value.”

But he has already had one concerned potential client ask if a tuition discount, or rebate, was possible.

“Is there any way to quantify that loss?” Chiartas said. “That’s a very good question. That’s what the experts are for.”

He said he isn’t overly concerned about causing more harm to his alma mater.

“I don’t value trying to harm the university,” he said. “You have to look at the larger picture. But as attorneys we have to look at the individuals. Looking at the big picture is what the Board of Governors should have been doing.”

        

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