Attorney General James Uthmeier Sues Major Textbook Publishers for Overcharging Florida Schools
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier today announced that his office filed a lawsuit against McGraw Hill LLC and Savvas Learning Company LLC, accusing the companies of systematically overcharging Florida school districts for instructional materials in violation of state law and the Florida False Claims Act.
“Our lawsuit exposes a textbook case of corporate greed—companies charging Florida schools more than the law allows, pocketing the difference, and sticking taxpayers with the bill,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Florida will not be a playground for deceitful profiteers who think they can cheat our students and teachers. We will make sure they pay back every dime and face the full consequences under the law.”
The complaint, filed in the Second Judicial Circuit Court, asserts that the defendants failed to comply with Florida’s statutory pricing requirements for instructional materials adopted for statewide use. Under Florida law, publishers must give every Florida school district the best price offered anywhere in the nation, automatically extend any price cuts made available elsewhere, and provide free materials to Florida schools whenever they are provided free to others.
According to the State’s claims, McGraw Hill and Savvas knowingly charged certain Florida school districts more than the lowest price they offered to other districts, and withheld cost reductions required by statute. The lawsuit contends that these violations resulted in substantial overpayments from Florida’s school districts and, ultimately, from Florida taxpayers.
The State of Florida intervened in the lawsuit after an investigation initiated under the Florida False Claims Act, which allows whistleblowers, known as relators, to bring actions on behalf of the State against entities that knowingly submit false or fraudulent claims for payment. The complaint seeks treble damages and civil penalties to prevent future violations.
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