Parents sue Midtown International School after sudden closure

ATLANTA - Parents who paid thousands of dollars in tuition to Midtown International School are demanding their money back after the school abruptly shut down in the spring, leaving families without refunds or answers about where their money went.

What we know:

Several families have filed a class-action lawsuit against the private Atlanta school and its board of trustees. 

The legal action follows the school's unexpected announcement in April that it would close its doors permanently, giving parents little time to find alternate placements for their children to finish out the term.

Beyond scrambling for new schools, many parents had already paid thousands of dollars in advance—some having already made substantial tuition payments toward the upcoming 2026–2027 school year.

Class-action lawsuit seeks answers

What they're saying:

Attorney Shimshon Wexler of S Wexler LLC, who represents the affected families in the suit, called the situation devastating.

"It's horrible, and hopefully this lawsuit will bring some kind of relief," Wexler said.

According to Wexler, one parent had already paid more than $16,000 toward tuition for the 2026–2027 school year before the abrupt shutdown.

"They paid for a service that they were not provided," Wexler said. "Any other company would be liable for refunds, so why isn’t this private school? When I bought playoff tickets for the Braves and the postseason ended early, I was immediately refunded. Why weren't these parents given their money back?"

The lawsuit highlights a stark financial disparity, alleging that the school's final financial report showed only $18,000 in cash on hand while carrying an estimated $370,000 debt owed to parents.

Wexler emphasized that the legal team is determined to uncover what happened to the missing funds: "We're going to find out what happened here, and we're going to turn over stones."

Teachers, staff left in the dark

Dig deeper:

The sudden closure also blindsided faculty and staff members who had signed contracts to teach for the entire academic year. Staff members learned they would only be compensated through the school's final operating day.

Former Midtown International School teacher Stephanie Lightsey described the aftermath as one of the darkest periods of her life.

"There was no compensation or, like, help in that way," Lightsey said. "HR did help guide us through the unemployment process. Aside from that, from the institution itself, we weren't really aided."

Months later, former teachers and parents alike say they remain without clear answers as to how the school reached financial collapse so quickly.

What we don't know:

Former educators and families have not received answers explaining how the school's finances collapsed or where the missing tuition money went. 

FOX 5 reached out to attorneys representing Midtown International School. They did not respond to requests for comment as of Wednesday evening.