University of Metaphysical Sciences (UMS) has existed since 1921 offering knowledge in spiritual matters and metaphysical explanations shedding light on the meaning of life. However, the university has been entangled in legal battles under the ' University of Metaphysical Sciences Lawsuit' since 2015. The plaintiff brings forward allegations touching on the legitimacy and quality of their degrees and the future of the education offered and deceptive advertising strategies.
The University however maintains that their competitors fabricated the claims and they will fight and will not be found guilty of the allegations. This article provides details on why and what the lawsuit entails, who is suing them, what this means to UMS's credibility if found guilty and the financial toll the suit has had on involved parties.
Who is Behind the Lawsuit?
The first and second plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Modern Lawsuit and International Metaphysical Ministry Vs. Wisdom of the Heart Church. This is a non-profit church organization with its headquarters in Sedona, Arizona. Also, it operates under trade names that include: the University of Sedona and the University of Metaphysics. The organization operates from Sedona Arizona and also offers worldwide online programs.
The third Plaintiff is Paul Leon Masters Revocable Living Trust, a Trust packaged under the laws of the Arizona state. Michelle Behr is the Trustee- the President of IMM. The university is encompassed in three lawsuits where they have to present the defense and prove their innocence.
What is in the UMS Lawsuit?
The lawsuit has been on since 2017 and the university faces allegations from competing organizations and some ex-students. The competitor has packaged the legal battle in 3 lawsuits under different plaintiffs. The accuser runs two schools in Sedona, Arizona. The most recent trial runs between June 16th to 20th, 2025.
The lawsuit is considered a Predatory Litigation whereby it's viewed as a tactic by competing organizations to harm the competitors with fabricated allegations. Additionally, the accuser uses the opportunity to get their financial reports, access to private email and deep secrets of trade to steal their success strategy. Also, they keep the case going for a long and may use it to demand a settlement outside court that could be expensive.
This costs the defendant financial strains through business legal fees and compensation fees in case they lose the case. According to ex-students of UMS, the university is accused of deceiving them that the degrees were credible, worthy and acceptable by conventional learning centers. They argue that is not the case.
Additionally, the third lawsuit filed in 2020 by an ex-student too, accuses the institution of involvement in business malpractices such as false selling and advertising. The student claims that they enrolled for the degree from their advertisement that lied about the credibility of their degrees. The claims have been found of little substance.
The plaintiff still holds on pursuing the case despite spending too much on the case. The question still stands, what is the real motivation behind the 3 lawsuits against UMS? Could it be to prolong it to harm the credibility of the University instead of genuinely seeking justice?
The Current State of the University of Metaphysical Sciences Lawsuit
As of November 2024, the suits opened in 2017. It later had an out-of-court settlement by mid-2022. Neither of the involved parties disclosed details of the settlement or the judgment. What is clear is, that UMS paid large sums of money to the plaintiffs.
The lawsuit filed in 2020 is still ongoing with the trial set to run from 16-20 June 2025. This suit majors on deceptive marketing strategies by the university that persuaded students to join hoping to get credible degrees. They are seeking to be paid damages and an injunction against the university due to unacceptable business practices.
Impact of UMS Lawsuit on Students and Institutions
Predatory Litigation has undermined the reputation of UMS and drained its finances. This has been achieved through the media by publishing fake articles from paid individuals. This affects the university's online presence and its content does not appear on the first page of search engines. This can affect future student enrollment as well as professionals seeking to work there as it would ruin their reputation.
Moreover, enrolled students are questioning the validity of the degrees that can affect their future careers if the university loses the case
How UMS Can Address the Issues Outside Court
Given that the first lawsuit was settled outside court, there is much the university can do to protect its glory. Here is how:
1. Apply for Accreditation- The University should follow laid down procedures to accredit the degrees from relevant organizations. This alienates the impact the lawsuit is having on current and ex-students in the marketplace.
2. Media Campaigns - The institution should embrace email marketing and social media campaigns to enhance transparency to the outside world. This could entail clarifying details on ongoing cases, and speaking about the accreditation status, graduation schedules, programs offered and employment statistics of the students.
This could boost student confidence and encourage more enrolment. However, students should do due diligence before joining the university. They should look at the accreditation status, read testimonials and reviews, go through the curriculum and look at the absorption rate in the job market after graduation.
How UMS Responded to the Lawsuits
Reacting to the allegations, the university pledges to offer quality programs of education to current and future students. It also pledges to give a strong defense against the plaintiffs to counter the claims. Through their website, they have vowed to protect the institution from all external attacks and offer quality education.
Conclusion
While several universities are offering metaphysical sciences programs, the University of Metaphysical Sciences lawsuits are a great lesson to similar institutions. The lessons include the need for accreditation of their degrees by relevant bodies, transparency and use of ethical advertising strategies. Also, they should be financially accountable and provide quality education to release credible graduates to the marketplace.
Despite the use of Predatory Litigation, UMS has maintained its innocence and continued to release quality graduates to the marketplace. It is however reminded of the need to shield the university against such attacks through applying for accreditation from various bodies to counteract such attacks.
