After closing valley campus, Marinello School of Beauty says it will drop fees against DHS woman

Story update, Tuesday, October 20th, 2015, 11:50 am:

Dr. Nagui Elyas, the head of the parent company for the Marinello School of Beauty told CBS Local 2 that the $3,000 Leonora Lettman was charged was not for Lettman choosing not to transfer to another Marinello campus. In an email regarding this point Dr. Elyas wrote:

“These charges were due to the school as part of the regular charges for the students hours attended at the Cathedral City campus and not as an additional charge for transferring.”

ORIGINAL STORY:

Some students who once attended the Marinello School of Beauty in Cathedral City gathered outside the building on Date Palm Drive.

With signs reading “nail your new career”, and “a beautiful way to learn”, the place now sits empty, after closing for good in May of 2014.

The closure left the students feeling empty.

“I really feel used, and my time was wasted, and now I can’t even complete my education,” said Desert Hot Springs resident Leonora Lettman.

Lettman enrolled in the school in the Summer of 2013, with the goal of becoming a licensed cosmetologist.

By the time the campus closed, she had completed nearly 800 hours of study in the program, which totals 1,600 hours.

Lettman says she and the other students were notified of the campus closure only seven days before it happened.

“It really does hurt, because when I started at that school, I trusted them, and they told me they would take care of me,” complained Lettman.

Lettman says she and other students were told they could transfer to other Marinello campuses in Moreno Valley or Hemet.

But limited transportation for Lettman made transferring virtually impossible, and she did not like a beauty school in the valley recommended by Marinello.

Lettman says she was told if she didn’t transfer to another Marinello campus, the beauty school’s parent company would charge her $3,000, and she says that is what happened.

“I don’t know what my legal recourse is, but I know what’s right and wrong,” said Lettman.

Her other complaint with Marinello is that the school would not release her transcripts after the campus closed, preventing her from obtaining more student loans to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

The mother of two contacted CBS Local 2.

She asked us to help her get her transcripts released and the $3,000 charge against her dropped.

On her behalf, we contacted Dr. Nagui Elyas, the head of Marinello’s parent company.

After exchanging email, and a phone conversation, Elyas said the school would drop the $3,000 charge against Lettman, and release her transcripts.

He also said quote:

“Please rest assured that during the closure of our school in Cathedral City, all students were notified of all their choices and were treated fairly and in accordance to all rules and regulations set by the state, our accrediting agency, and the department of education.”

Lettman is ready to move on.

“I want them to do the right thing,” said Lettman.

CBS Local 2 will keep in contact with Leonora Lettman to make sure the school follows through with its promises.

As far as other students with concerns, Dr. Elyas told CBS Local 2 the school would quote “gladly respond to their concerns promptly”.