BY STEPHANIE BARISH | wpix.com

August 3, 2009
NEW YORK (WPIX)—
She graduated college with hopes of swiftly finding a job in her field - but when the recession hit and jobs became scarce - the 27-year-old ran to court instead of the unemployment office and filed a lawsuit against her alma mater.

Trina Thompson filed a lawsuit last week in Bronx Supreme Court suing Monroe College for $70,000 - the total amount of hard earned cash she shelled out for tuition. Thompson claims she hasn't been able to find gainful employment since she received her information technology degree in April.

Thompson claims the school's Office of Career Advancement did not provide her with essential leads and career advice to help her chances of landing a job. She claims she was sent only three emails from the college with little job advice.

"They have not tried hard enough to help me," Thompson is documented as saying in court papers. "I need a full-time job placement and that's what they said they were going to help me with and they didn't."

For its part, the college released a statement reading in part, "While it is clear that no college, especially in this economy, can guarantee employment, Monroe College remains committed to working with all its students, including Ms. Thompson."