Former OU student seeks class-action status for misreporting data

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – A former University of Oklahoma student is seeking class-action status for her federal lawsuit against the school for misreporting data used to nationally rank the university.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal district court in Oklahoma City on behalf of Elani Gretzer, a Texas woman who says she enrolled at OU’s Price College of Business in 2016 in part because of its national ranking by U.S. News. The company is well-known for its lists of the nation’s best colleges and universities.

University officials acknowledged to the company last year that it had inflated its alumni giving data since 1999.

The lawsuit estimates as many as 350,000 current and former students could be a part of the proposed class, with claims well in excess of $5 million.