Houston Art School, Whistleblower Settle Education Fraud Suit

A whistleblower and Art Institute of Houston LLC settled a False Claims Act suit alleging that the school and others faked student enrollment to improperly obtain financial aid funds from the US Department of Education.

The suit filed in 2020 is now dismissed, Judge Andrew S. Hanen of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas said in a Wednesday order.

Terms of the settlement weren’t made available. Counsel for the parties didn’t immediately respond to a request for comments.

Michael Andrew Harrington, a former enrollment director, presented sufficient evidence that defendants received financial assistance funds under the ...