If you are considering the services of lawyer Dean Googasian to file and proceed your case think twice, only to drop the idea altogether.
To make it simple for you let me list it down here as to why you should steer clear from approaching him as lately Dean Googaisan has:
1. Filed a class action lawsuit against Belford High School claiming that the online life experience based institution is involved in issuing ‘fake’ diplomas.
My point: Belford High School has been a leading life experience based online institution for a longtime now, rewarding individuals with certification as an academic equivalency having evaluated their prior /work life experience that qualify them for the high school diploma. Not at any point have Belford claimed to be ‘educating’ its students for its high school diploma. Also, it’s the responsibility of the individual to represent their credentials truthfully. Belford’s terms & conditions enlisted on their official website clearly state that incase of any misrepresentation, the degree will be ‘cancelled’. All information is submitted on oath and ‘pain of perjury’ as the degree then stands ‘null and void’ if one has misrepresented their credentials’ information.
Therefore holding Belford responsible for issuing ‘fake’ degrees is baseless. May I quote an interesting and similar case here that took place in 2006 and was filed by Mr. Paul McKenna against Daily mirror newspaper who called his degree ‘bogus’. For details read the relevant BBC article, visit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5223454.stm. In the year 1996, McKenna was awarded the doctoral degree PhD degree from LaSalle University (Louisiana) on completing a 70,000-word thesis on a study. In 2006 McKenna successfully sued the Daily Mirror for libel; over claims made by journalist Victor Lewis-Smith that McKenna obtained a “bogus degree” simply for money to intentionally deceive the public. McKenna won the case and significant damages. The court declared that Mr. McKenna was not dishonest and regardless of the quality of his earned degree, it would be unfair to write it off as ‘bogus’ and that any presumable lack of academic expertise of La Salle’ University does not suggest that its client has been dishonest about his rightfully earned credits based on his life experiences.
2. Stated that Belford is yet another “profit making online institution working in the US”.
My point: Belford is not even a US entity to begin with, so the case being filed in the courts of Michigan stands baseless when the defendant does not function under the US jurisdiction. How can a lawyer miss out on such a basic point? Shows his incompetence in his field, doesn’t it?
3. Can be accused of disrespecting the court under the sanction of Rule 11.
My point: The court can be offended that its time has been wasted and its sanctity taken for granted by the plaintiff which clearly intended to mislead the court.
4. Can be counter-sued by the defendant.
My point: The other most likely scenario would be where the court dissolves this class action as null and void and Belford decides to counter sue Dean Googasian, his firm and say even the students who were members of this class action. In that case, not only Dean Googaisan but Belford Alumni members would also have to pool in to the compensatory money amount that the high school claims in exchange to the defamation lodged and propagated against it.
Conclusion: Now that you can see how chances are lean for Dean Googasian to convince the court, supposedly even if the court accepts this class action as one eligible to be filed and considered for further proceedings and eventually wins against Belford, the students who may have been a part of this class action should not expect to get anything more than half of their diploma fees that merely comes up to $125 as in such a scenario, Dean Googasian would be the only one to benefit from this class action in terms of money charging hefty litigation fees, which is by far his ultimate intention behind the Belford lawsuit.
The Super Con Man Lawyer from Michigan:) good one.
I do not think that Dean is going to make this time as he is playing against a very renowned and legit hig school so i doubt it .
Better Luck next time Dean .
This dean surely is a nasty guy with some devilish schemes up his sleeve….
Dean’s tactics depict that this guy is not the ideal choice for anything.
PBOXmH Excellent article, I will take note. Many thanks for the story!