Pa. AG looking into allegations against Temple business school dean

Pennsylvania’s Attorney General is looking into allegations that Temple University’s business school provided false data to boost the rankings of its online program.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro says he has asked the Bureau of Consumer Protection to examine the case, including Temple’s business and marketing practices.

Shapiro says his job is to ensure students receive “the benefit of the bargain when they make significant expenditures to advance their education.”

Earlier this week, Temple University ousted Moshe Porat, dean of its Fox School of Business after a report uncovered years of intentionally submitting inaccurate data to increase its standing in U.S. News & World Report rankings. The university initially asked him to step down Monday, but he refused. Temple says he no longer runs the school but at least for now holds onto a teaching appointment.

The scandal began in January when errors were first discovered, and the business school self-reported them to the organization. After the university learned of the misleading information, it hired the law firm Jones Day to conduct an investigation in January.

Since at least 2014, the university says the business school knowingly reported incorrect data about its Online MBA program.

That program was ranked number one for the last four years. That title was stripped in January, and the Online MBA program is now unranked.

Sara Hoover contributed to this report.