On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, Bloomberg Law reported that a federal judge had withdrawn from an antitrust case involving 40 private colleges. Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, serving in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, filed a request for reassignment on October 18, citing potential conflicts of interest due to her and her family’s connections with one or more of the universities named as defendants in the case.
The lawsuit, which implicates the College Board and several private institutions, alleges a conspiracy related to financial aid practices that purportedly violates U.S. antitrust laws. Following Judge Coleman’s recusal, the case has been reassigned to Judge Sara L. Ellis.
This decision adds to a series of recusal instances involving antitrust cases this year. Notably, Judge Andrea R. Wood from the same district recused herself last month from a settled class action related to realtor commission disputes, citing a family connection to a law firm representing one of the defendants. In another case, Judge Michael Farbiarz also stepped down from overseeing the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit against Apple Inc., referencing a rule that prevents judges from presiding over cases where their impartiality could reasonably be questioned.
Federal regulations mandate that judges disqualify themselves from cases where conflicts of interest exist, including situations that could affect their impartiality or involve personal knowledge of relevant facts. Judge Coleman did not specify which defendants were connected to her or her family.
Steve Berman, managing partner at Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, the firm representing the plaintiffs in the case, expressed approval of Judge Coleman’s recognition of the conflict in an email to Bloomberg Law.
Source: Bloomberg Law
