Martin University closed suddenly late last year.
Martin’s Department of Communications
Students and former employees have sued Martin University for breach of contract and other damages after Indiana’s only black-majority institution closed abruptly late last year.
Students in the case accuse the defendants—Martin’s president and Board of Trustees—of undermining their education, leaving some unable to graduate despite completing their programs. The plaintiffs argued that the sudden closure resulted in “diminished educational outcomes, diminished status of academic qualifications, loss of income, loss of opportunity to obtain advanced degrees, loss of employment opportunities and loss of return on financial investment.” They also said Martin failed to provide “promised training and services.”
Martin had been struggling for years when he closed his doors in late 2025. The university’s head count, which was just under 1,000 in the early 2010s, has dropped to between 200 and 300 in recent years, down to 198 students by the fall of 2024, according to the latest federal data. When the private institution announced plans to close, trustees said “teaching agreements and transition plans are being established, and individual support is provided so students can complete their degrees elsewhere.”
But such plans did not materialize.
In a lawsuit filed last week in Marion Superior Court, the plaintiffs—four former students, a former employee and the Martin University Alumni Association—asked the court to halt the planned sale of Martin’s Indianapolis campus “pending an investigation and hearing.” (The Martin campus is currently on the market for $3.5 million.)
The plaintiffs allege that their closure has caused them significant financial damage.
Kevin Getter, a former student, alleged in an affidavit that he completed all the necessary courses and credits to obtain a master’s degree but was unable to obtain it due to the sudden closure. She said she was accepted into a doctoral program at Walden University, but when she applied for financial aid she was told that Martin was “actively trying to collect money from my financial aid account for the current semester,” meaning her financial aid account was still considered active there. Those problems eventually forced him to withdraw from Walden.
“I am not currently enrolled in any college and cannot receive financial aid based on my open financial aid account and established performance at Martin University,” Getter said in court. “I have been hurt by my educational status, financial situation, loss of college degree/diploma of mental stress and loss of accredited education.”
Another student, Linda Gude, alleged that she had finished all her coursework and was working on her thesis when Martin began announcing that he was “pausing activities.” Now, after the closure, Gude stated in court that he “does not know” how to complete his program and that “he did not receive anything that would affect him from Martin University regarding the completion of my degree.”
Other students made similar claims, while a former employee, Evelyn Blunt, alleged she missed checks during the shutdown and suffered emotional and financial hardship.
The school’s student body noted that “the Board of Trustees has failed to implement or communicate with the official curriculum,” leaving many students floundering without clear guidance from the university as they seek to complete their programs or continue their education elsewhere.
Martin did not respond to requests for comment Within Higher Ed.
While at least 15 nonprofit institutions announced closings last year, most gave students a break, giving a few months or more notice. Martin, however, was one of the few institutions whose sudden closure left students bewildered. Others include Saint Andrews University in North Carolina and Limestone University in South Carolina, although both offer transfer opportunities to partner institutions to help remaining students complete their degrees; Martin did not.
