February 2003

Life University accreditation restored

Ben DeSpain, Life University’s president, confirmed on February 10 that Judge Charles E. Moye Jr. restored Life’s University’s accreditation of the College of Chiropractic in response to the college’s request for emergency injunctive relief. Life filed the injunction as part of a lawsuit alleging that CCE acted unfairly in revoking their accreditation. The lawsuit seeks the restoration of accreditation and damages from the accrediting agency.

Students who satisfied their graduation requirements but were not processed due to the loss of accreditation will now be awarded their diplomas and be allowed to sit for national board exams and apply for state licensure.

“We are very grateful for and pleased with this decision,” said DeSpain. “While this is the first step in the judicial system we are hopeful that our pleadings will hold throughout the appellate process and we will prevail in the end. We fully expect that CCE will file an appeal and quite possibly could ask for a stay of this decision. Life is prepared to continue the legal debate and we are very comfortable we will find similar success in future rulings.”

Judge Moye sited four areas of concern as he ruled from the bench:

1) There was a substantial chance a jury would be compelled to find in favor of the plaintiff if the same evidence were presented,

2) There would be irreparable harm/damage to the plaintiff should the injunction be denied,

3) There was not a balance of equity when the accrediting agency removed accreditation from the plaintiff, and

4) There would be no harm to the general public should the injunctive relief be granted.

In response to the students who left Life to enroll at other colleges and now wish to return, Life is instructing them to concentrate on academic studies for now. Once the procedure for transfer without suffering any loss of coursework is established, a notice will be posted on the college website.

“I urge each member of the Life Family to take a moment and reflect on the sacrifices of so many in the profession of chiropractic,” said DeSpain in a statement posted on the Life website. “One only needs to spend a few moments at the bell tower to realize that, while painful, the loss of and efforts to reestablish our accreditation are minor contributions to further the cause we believe in so strongly. Let us also remember how alienated and ostracized we felt during this process and commit ourselves to rising above retaliatory actions or hatred thoughts. For when this process is complete, we must continue to share a small world with many others who are not like-minded.”

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