Colleges Seek Protection From Pandemic-Related Lawsuits as They Look to Reopen

The campus of Georgetown University is seen nearly empty as classes were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, in Washington, on May 7, 2020. Saul loeb/AFP via Getty Images

As colleges and universities plan to resume in-person classes for the 2020 fall semester, many administrators expressed concern over potential lawsuits brought by students, faculty, and staff after returning to campuses amid the pandemic.

In a recent letter (pdf) to Congressional leaders, 70 education groups, led by the American Council on Education, pleaded for legal liability protections that would allow them to open campuses without fear of “huge transactional costs associated with defending against COVID-19 spread lawsuits.”