On July 11, 2025, a jury returned a verdict in favor of 19 plaintiffs represented by Kelly Guzzo, PLC for approximately $1.6 million, following a week-long trial.
Kelly Guzzo lawyers Kristi Kelly, Matthew Rosendahl, and Casey Nash represented the 19 plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Medical Learning Center, Inc. and its owner, Gullalai Safi, for misrepresentations and fraud related to Medical Learning Center’s Practical Nursing Program.
The plaintiffs were all former students of Fairfax-based Medical Learning Center who were told by the defendants that the LPN program was approved by the Board of Nursing and complied with all Board requirements. Ms. Safi also told the plaintiffs that the program would allow them to sit for the NCLEX examination and to become licensed practical nurses.
In reality, the program had lost its Board approval in June 2023 and had been noncompliant with Board of Nursing regulations as far back as 2019, disqualifying graduates of the program from taking the licensure exam. Kelly Guzzo brought a lawsuit in Fairfax County Circuit Court to seek relief for 19 former students of the program, alleging violations of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act and fraud.
As experienced Virginia Consumer Protection Act attorneys, the team at Kelly Guzzo presented evidence at trial showing that Ms. Safi and Medical Learning Center ignored two separate Board of Nursing orders requiring the program to shut down and deliberately concealed the orders from students. Ms. Safi also testified that she was still enrolling students in the program, despite the Board ordering operations to end by December 31, 2023.
Following four days of trial, including testimony from the Board of Nursing and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), the jury returned a verdict in favor of each plaintiff and awarded compensatory and punitive damages against both Ms. Safi and Medical Learning Center. The court also issued a temporary injunction requiring the program to comply with the Board’s orders by no later than July 31, 2025.
“It was our privilege to represent these 19 women in their pursuit of justice, and we are grateful to the jury and the court for listening to our clients and awarding them relief for the pain and suffering that the defendants caused,” said trial lead Matthew Rosendahl. The trial team was also assisted by firm paralegals Michael Greene, Ayman Habib, and Natalie Cahoon, as well as summer fellows with the National Association of Consumer Advocates, Sarah Shepley, Elizabeth Crot, and Sarah Kelly.
If you’ve been misled by an educational program, or believe your consumer rights have been violated, a Virginia Consumer Protection Act attorney at Kelly Guzzo PLC may be able to help. Please contact us for a free consultation.
