Former students sue hairstyling school

In all, seven former students are suing the Fila Academy and its owner, Larry Fila Jr. of Linthicum. They claim officials with the academy, which previously purported an association with Paul Mitchell, lied about how the Glen Burnie school's various programs on barbering, nail technology and skin care therapy would eventually make them as much money as "doctors and lawyers."

In reality, they claim, the administrators wanted to "collect the federal and other funds and then rid themselves of the students."

Fila and his attorney, Stephen Thienel, did not return calls for comment about the lawsuits, which seek a total of $27 million in compensatory and $40 million in punitive damages. In court papers, Fila has denied any wrongdoing.

Allan Steinhorn and George Hermina, the attorneys who filed both lawsuits on behalf of the students, and officials with Paul Mitchell also did not return calls.

According to the lawsuits - which claim among other things fraud, deceptive trade practices and breach of contract - the academy lied about being associated with Paul Mitchell, having acceptance standards, and even the extent to which students would be required to pay the tuition.

The academy "falsely informed plaintiffs that they need only sign financial aid forms and they would not need to worry about paying funds," a lawsuit said, noting several students were surprised when they started getting bills.

The academy also did not tell students upon their registration they would need to buy their own equipment, meet sales quotas to stay enrolled or bring in their own clients to receive hands-on training, a lawsuit said. Students who did not have any clients on whom to work were asked to clean toilets or perform other "demeaning tasks."

When students ran afoul of Fila or their teachers, the academy did not abide by a "progressive discipline" policy laid out in its catalog, a lawsuit said. While a student was supposed to receive six warnings before he or she was dismissed, some students were kicked out after their first infraction.

The lawsuits highlighted incidents in which the school enrolled a 16-year-old girl and then dismissed her for being "immature." She was charged 60 percent of her total tuition bill. Another student - a single mother - was kicked her out when she missed a day of work to stay home with her sick child. She was charged her entire tuition.

"In other words, plaintiffs knowingly enrolled (students) they knew they would dismiss," a lawsuit said.

Finally, the students complained Fila, the sole shareholder and director of the academy, is "an unprofessional bully who is incapable of respecting the students," a lawsuit said. They argued Fila regularly inflicted "severe emotional distress" on them.

One student - the 16-year-old girl - attempted suicide after her dismissal, a lawsuit said.

The lawsuits were filed Aug. 31, 2009, and July 8, 2010, in county Circuit Court in Annapolis. The first lawsuit involves three students while the second involves four. All seven students were briefly parties to the first lawsuit.

sdaugherty@capitalgazette.com