Attorney General Josh Stein suing unlicensed phlebotomy school

WILMINGTON (WWAY) — A phlebotomy school is being sued by the North Carolina attorney general for allegedly falsely advertising their phlebotomy certification program without telling students the program is not licensed by the state.

Attorney General Josh Stein is seeking a court order to prevent Oquirrh Mountain from holding further unlicensed classes as well as restitution for students who Oquirrh Mountain’s owner, Dallas Rasmussen, deceived.

“These students paid for an education to invest in their futures,” Stein said in a press release. “Instead, this unlicensed, for-profit school took their money in exchange for degrees that won’t help them get a job. I’m taking this action to stand up for Oquirrh Mountain students and to protect others.”

Oquirrh Mountain is an unlicensed, for-profit school that operates in North Carolina and other states. They offer students three-day programs that are advertised to prepare students to take a national phlebotomy certification exam. However, the state says they have done this without registering with the State Board of Proprietary Schools, in uninspected facilities, and with instructors whose credentials are unverified.

The licenses are in place to ensure that schools are meeting minimum quality standards and to provide a financial backstop that protects students whose schools unexpectedly close.