PILCOP amends suit against U.

The Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia filed a revised version of its suit against the University over Mayor's Scholarships last week, making several technical changes. "[The changes] were to meet the technical requirements [the University] had objected to," PILCOP attorney Michael Churchill said last night. "None of the substance has been changed." The University filed preliminary objections to PILCOP's suit last month. But not all of the objected points were changed in the amended complaint. The amended suit alleges the University was found in violation of the antitrust laws. But the University was never found to be in violation of antitrust laws concerning need-based financial aid even though the Justice Department investigated possible violations. The suit is "more in line" with proper form for a class action suit, PILCOP attorney Tom Gilhool said last night. The suit now contains the names of trustees of the labor organizations that have joined the suit and has added five new individuals and the Philadelphia Fire Fighters Union. Engineering senior Maurice Enoch was dropped as a plaintiff in the suit, but Churchill declined to comment on why he is no longer suing the University. Enoch did not return phone calls placed at his home last night. University senior Kellie Robinson said last night that she joined the lawsuit because the Mayor's Scholarship program is "an obscene and ridiculous lie." She said that when she first came to the University she was promised that "it would be alright," but that now she is burdened with loans that will amount to, according to the complaint, $300 a month for the next ten years. "I just took them on their word that I would be okay," Robinson said. "I thought it was a great idea, a philanthropy thing. It's not. It's a sham." PILCOP filed suit against the University in October alleging the University does not provide enough Mayor's Scholarships to needy Philadelphia high schoolers.

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