On Wednesday, Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that Alpha Omicron Pi sorority must refund or waive housing fees it charged University of Washington students during the pandemic.
According to a release from the attorney general’s office, the national sorority charged thousands of dollars in housing fees from the spring quarter of 2020 through 2021, even though students were not allowed to access sorority housing. It was a violation of Gov. Jay Inslee’s emergency eviction moratorium.
The attorney general found out about the issue after 13 UW students complained to Ferguson’s COVID-19 eviction moratorium enforcement team.
One student wrote to the enforcement team, “It did not feel fair that I would be required to pay for the bills of the chapter house when I could not live there … At the time, I lived paycheck to paycheck and worked part-time jobs on top of my classes. I was not the only person in a tight financial situation. I knew other sisters who lost their retail jobs during the pandemic as well. But whenever we raised these health and financial concerns with our alumni advisors, we were told to focus on ‘sisterhood.’”
Due to the consent decree, a legally enforceable document filed in King County Superior Court, the sorority is being required to reimburse at least $500,000 to at least 68 students charged the housing fees.
“This sorority took advantage of students, charging them thousands of dollars for housing they could not access or use,” Ferguson said. “Alpha Omicron Pi’s actions were clear violations of the protections put in place to protect Washingtonians from the spread of COVID-19. Thanks to the students who spoke up and brought this to our attention, the sorority must cancel or refund these unlawful fees.”
According to the release, Alpha Omicron Pi charged the sorority members a housing fee of $6,250 for the 2020-2021 school year.
Members of the sorority were reportedly charged late fees, including one person who was charged more than $200 while the fees were prohibited under the governor’s moratorium, which violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act.
According to the release, the national sorority threatened students with the suspension of their membership and referral to debt collectors, and implied they could face lasting damage to their credit history for nonpayment.
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