FOIA Request: Records Regarding the U.S. Department of Education’s Internal Decisions and External Communications in the Sweet v. Cardona Lawsuit and Settlement Agreement
| Agency | Department of Education |
|---|---|
| Type | FOIA Request |
| Issue | Borrower DefenseStudent Loan Debt Cancellation |
| Tracking | DFI FOIA No. 100-34-22 |
| Date | Nov 29, 2022 |
On November 16, 2022, a U.S. district judge in the Northern District of California issued an Order approving of the jointly proposed settlement agreement between the Department and the Project on Predatory Student Lending (PPSL), counsel for plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against the Department that was filed in 2019. In the settlement agreement, the Department fully acceded to the demands of PPSL, resulting in approximately $6 billion in automatic borrower defense student loan discharges for about 264,000 class members. In so agreeing, the Department dispensed with its obligation to make fact-specific determinations regarding allegations of fraud by for-profit colleges. Individual findings of substantial misconduct by accused for-profit schools are, under the agreement, unnecessary. This constitutes an abandonment by the Department of its obligation to act independently on behalf of the American people in making such determinations and enforcing relevant laws and regulations impartially. In response, DFI's FOIA request is for records of internal decision records and external communications with interested parties, including PPSL, from January 20, 2021, through the present.
Request