# Lawsuit Alleges Riggs College Misled Nursing Students in Central Florida
*Former students sue unaccredited Longwood school for deceptive practices, failed clinical training and arbitrary graduation barriers.*

- Medio: Orlando Ledger News (https://orlandoledgernews.com)
- URL: https://orlandoledgernews.com/noticia/lawsuit-alleges-riggs-college-misled-nursing-students-in-central-florida
- Sección: Society
- Autor: Orlando Ledger News Staff
- Publicado: 2026-09-07T08:33:16.206Z
> Four former students filed a lawsuit against an unaccredited Longwood nursing school, alleging deceptive practices and arbitrary barriers to graduation that prevented them from taking the NCLEX exam.

## Las claves

- Former students sue Riggs College of Allied Health Sciences for alleged deception and failure to provide proper clinical training
- The Seminole County lawsuit was filed in July after state regulators limited new enrollments due to poor licensing exam results
- Plaintiffs seek tuition refunds, lost wages, and a court declaration allowing them to take the NCLEX licensure examination

Four former students have filed a lawsuit in Seminole County Circuit Court alleging that Riggs College of Allied Health Sciences, an unaccredited nursing school operating out of a Central Florida office plaza, systematically misled them and failed to provide proper clinical training. The complaint, filed recently by the plaintiffs, claims the institution was "deceptive" and arbitrarily stopped some students from graduating while collecting steep tuition fees without delivering the promised education.

### Allegations of Deception and Arbitrary Enforcement

Riggs College of Allied Health Sciences opened in 2020 but has faced significant regulatory scrutiny. The state placed the school on probation last year and, in May, limited new student enrollments to a cap of 40 per year because few graduates were passing the national licensing exam required for registered nurses. Data from the Florida Board of Nursing indicates that only two out of nine first-time test-takers passed the exam this year.

The lawsuit alleges that Riggs prevented plaintiffs, who had completed their coursework and met published requirements, from sitting for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). The students claim the school engaged in "arbitrary and selective enforcement of academic policies," allowing some classmates to graduate despite failing benchmarks while blocking others. One plaintiff, a woman from North Charleston, South Carolina, paid more than $18,000 for her studies and earned a 3.06 grade-point average before being dismissed without cause or written explanation, as this newspaper reported in [Florida Senators Demand Overhaul of 'Failing' Child Services Agency Amid Grand J](/noticia/florida-senators-demand-overhaul-of-failing-child-services-agency-amid-grand-jur).

### Financial Impact and Regulatory Context

The students are seeking compensation for tuition, fees, out-of-pocket expenses, and lost wages, along with a judicial declaration that they are eligible to take the NCLEX. The suit also claims Riggs misrepresented program lengths, telling licensed practical nurses they could become registered nurses in 15 to 16 months before routinely extending coursework to two or four years, more context in [Florida Senators Demand Overhaul of 'Failing' Child Services Agency Amid Grand J](/noticia/florida-senators-demand-overhaul-of-failing-child-services-agency-amid-grand-jur).

Riggs is one of many private schools that opened after Florida eased requirements for nursing programs in 2009. The Commission for Independent Education recently allowed the school to remain open despite poor performance, a decision made shortly after regulators expressed dismay during a May meeting with founder Oladimeji Adekunle, [El País](https://elpais.com) reported.

#### School Leadership Disputes Claims

Ali Kamalzadeh, an attorney representing Riggs and its owners Oladimeji and Abiola Adekunle, declined to comment on the specific allegations. In a statement, he wrote that his clients dispute the claims as unsupported by facts or law and intend to defend themselves vigorously through litigation.
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Fuente original: https://orlandoledgernews.com/noticia/lawsuit-alleges-riggs-college-misled-nursing-students-in-central-florida