Statement of AFT’s Randi Weingarten and Attorney Faith Gay on Judge’s Decision in Navient Class Action

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and Faith Gay, founding partner of the law firm Selendy & Gay, made the following statements after United States District Judge Denise Cote issued an opinion in a class-action lawsuit filed against student loan servicer Navient in federal court.

The AFT’s Weingarten said: “We are grateful for Judge Cote’s decision, which permits our case to go forward under New York consumer protection law, and which makes clear that our claims are not pre-empted by federal law, as Betsy DeVos and others have tried to claim. We will move forward with the guidance provided by Judge Cote and will secure justice for those teachers and others misled by Navient and unfairly trapped in crippling student loan debt.”

Selendy & Gay’s Gay said: “We appreciate Judge Cote’s thorough decision, which we are reviewing with care as we prepare for the next phases of this litigation.”