Connecticut Attorney General William Tong sued Stone Academy, its owner Joseph Bierbaum, and Paier College of Art for violating the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act by deceiving students about the nursing program's quality, clinical hours, and faculty qualifications while diverting funds to other businesses. The lawsuit seeks millions in civil penalties, restitution for students, disgorgement of profits, appointment of a receiver, and attachment of assets including Bierbaum's mansion.
The state is seeking civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation (totaling millions), restitution for affected students, disgorgement of all revenues and profits, appointment of a receiver for Stone Academy, and attachment of defendants' assets including Bierbaum's Rocky Hill mansion.
In-house legal teams should review all student-facing agreements, particularly enrollment contracts and program descriptions, for clauses guaranteeing program quality, clinical placement hours, and faculty credentials. Vendor and clinical site agreements should be examined for commitments on training resources and supervision. Intercompany or management agreements between Stone Academy, Paier College, and Joseph Bierbaum must be scrutinized for any provisions allowing or restricting the transfer of funds, cross-subsidization, or shared services. Necessary changes include inserting clear, measurable performance standards with audit rights, explicit prohibitions on diverting student tuition to affiliated entities without transparent justification, and mandatory disclosures regarding program accreditation status and actual clinical placement availability. Refund policies should be aligned with the failure to deliver promised educational outcomes.
Entity
Stone Academy, Paier College of Art, Joseph Bierbaum
Also known as: Stone Academy
Industry
EducationOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2023-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-sues-stone-academy
2023 07 13 final stone academy complaint.pdf?rev=f98048530c4
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2023/2023-07-13-final-stone-academy-complaint.pdf?rev=f98048530c4e4f81aaa9c651a6afd540&hash=5FBE170502843DABE271A62B828601D8
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
On May 11, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong led a bipartisan coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to abandon draft guidance that would ease approvals for flavored e-cigarette products. The coalition argues the guidance ignores evidence that flavored e-cigarettes disproportionately drive youth addiction and that FDA has failed to enforce existing authorization requirements for e-cigarette products. The letter references past tobacco and e-cigarette enforcement actions, including the 1998 tobacco master settlement agreement and the 2022 $438.5 million settlement with JUUL Labs.
Connecticut’s legislature passed House Bill 5312, creating new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault, including unauthorized dissemination of synthetically created intimate images and AI-generated child pornography. The bill establishes a private right of action for victims and empowers the Connecticut Attorney General to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against abusers and platforms hosting illegal content. This builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized intimate image dissemination.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised final passage of House Bill 5312, which creates new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault. The legislation allows the AG to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against platforms that disseminate illegal synthetic intimate images, including AI-generated child pornography, and establishes a private right of action for victims. The bill builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized dissemination of intimate images.
$300K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with international trade platform Made-in-China to cease all U.S. sales of unlawful 'research grade' GLP-1 weight loss drugs following an investigation into direct sales to consumers without prescriptions or medical oversight. The settlement prohibits the platform from hosting GLP-1 sales to U.S. customers, requires a monitoring system to remove non-compliant listings, and imposes a $300,000 penalty suspended after an initial $30,000 payment. Additional settlements were announced with Radiance Medspa and Advanced Medical Weight Loss over compounded non-FDA approved GLP-1 drugs.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, announcing the final passage of bipartisan legislation targeting youth social media addiction and artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new obligations on social media companies regarding minor account settings, parental consent, and reporting, as well as requirements for AI chatbot operators and employers using automated decision tools. The statement also references ongoing enforcement actions against Meta and TikTok for allegedly designing addictive platform features for youth.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, following final passage of bipartisan legislation to combat youth social media addiction and regulate artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new requirements on social media companies regarding minor users, including parental consent for addictive algorithms, default privacy settings, and annual reporting obligations. It also establishes rules for AI chat bots and automated employment decision tools, including disclosure requirements and self-harm detection protocols.