A Portland culinary school faces a class-action lawsuit from former students who claim they were misled about job placement after graduation.
The students said they spent tens of thousands of collars to train to become chefs but ended up making coffee and doing dishes.
A Multnomah County judge approved the lawsuit against Le Cordon Bleu Institute – formerly known as the Western Culinary Institute.
Some students who told KGW they wanted to defend the school said it should be incumbent on the student to succeed, not the school. But other past students argued that they tried to succeed but couldn’t find adequate work and now they’re out as much as $80,000. They said they had dreams of becoming chefs at Five-Star restaurants because that’s how the school promoted its classes on TV commercials.
Robert Williams admitted that his sales tactics were ruthless when he used to work as a sales manager for Le Cordon Bleu and encouraged would-be chefs to purchase admission packages. Now, Williams wants to come clean, as a whistleblower.
Williams told KGW that several government agencies ignored his allegations when he informed them that the school misled potential students about their future prospects for jobs.
But now the new lawsuit puts power behind those complaints.
According to the lawsuit, the school specifically claimed that it placed 90 percent of its students in jobs. But Williams said many of those jobs turned out to be as dishwashers, baristas, waiters, line cooks and counter help, instead of positions in major restaurants.
"Some grads didn't even go into the restaurant industry. They were pumping gas because they couldn't get jobs in the industry," Williams said.
However, some students currently enrolled in the school told KGW even getting a dishwashing job would be welcome.
“I would be honored to wash the dishes of a five star chef,” one student told KGW.
And if the school sells dreams, student Chris Parks said he's looking forward to his dream coming true. “I like making soup and I want to have my own place,” he said.
A lawyer for the school dismissed the lawsuit, arguing that Le Cordon Bleu offers an entry-level education and that each student’s success will depend on their own hard work.
The attorney went on to say that the school does not promise high salaries. However it does offer top-notch training and will vigorously defend itself against the lawsuit.
