ATI and Elsevier Obtain Preliminary Injunction Against Naxlex in Nursing Assessment Piracy and Cheating Case

BOSTON, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Assessment Technologies Institute, L.L.C. and Elsevier Inc. have obtained a preliminary injunction from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against the operators of Naxlex.com and other affiliated websites. The complaint alleges copyright infringement based on Naxlex’s unauthorized copying and sale of ATI’s and Elsevier’s proprietary nursing exam content, which is relied on by nursing schools across the country to evaluate the skills of prospective and current nursing students. The complaint also alleges state-law claims, including fraud, based on Naxlex’s operation of a proxy test-taking service through which paid stand-ins, posing as students, take exams in Elsevier’s and ATI’s secure online testing environments, instead of the registered students. ATI and Elsevier have come together to take legal action to stop these harmful activities, which not only impair the critical education of students who utilize Naxlex’s illegal cheating services, but also may threaten patient safety.

Elsevier and ATI filed suit against Naxlex on August 20, 2026. A day later, the Court issued a temporary restraining order requiring Naxlex to immediately shut down the illegal activity alleged in the complaint, and ordering third-parties to cease providing services to Naxlex in support of that activity. That relief has now been continued in the preliminary injunction, which will remain in place for the duration of the case, absent further order of the Court.

Lissy Hu, chief executive officer of Ascend Learning, LLC, parent company of ATI, said, “ATI will not tolerate the illegal use of our assessments to defraud institutions and harm nursing education in the United States. We stand with our nursing program partners and all honest students to uphold academic integrity and fight against those who attempt to undermine the trust placed in future healthcare professionals. This lawsuit reflects our commitment to protect te integrity of our assessments and the educational process that is vital to preparing the next generation of nurses to safely practice.”

Brent Gordon, president of healthcare education for Elsevier, said, “Supporting our partner institutions in preparing a clinical-ready nursing workforce starts with protecting the integrity of the assessments they rely on. When exam content is stolen and students cheat their way through, a passing grade no longer means verified competence — and patients are the ones who ultimately bear the risk. Elsevier is bringing this lawsuit to defend that integrity and stand behind the nursing schools that depend on it.”

About ATI
ATI helps create competent, practice-ready nurses who are dedicated to maintaining public safety and ensuring the future of healthcare. As a leading provider of online learning programs for nursing, ATI supports and helps educate future nurses from admissions, throughout undergraduate and graduate nursing school, and via continuing education over the course of their careers. ATI began in 1998 with the aid of a nurse, and ATI’s team of doctorate- and master's-prepared nurse educators continue to lead the development of ATI’s psychometrically designed and data-driven solutions. These solutions improve faculty effectiveness, fuel student progress, and advance program outcomes in three distinct areas: assessing performance, remediating problem areas, and predicting future student and program success. For nursing school administrators and nurse educators, ATI is a trusted advisor that consistently drives nursing success. To learn more about ATI, visit www.atitesting.com.

About Elsevier
Elsevier is a global leader in advanced information and decision support. For over a century, we have been helping advance science and healthcare to advance human progress. We support academic and corporate research communities, doctors, nurses, future healthcare professionals, and educators across 170 countries in their vital work. We help impact makers achieve better outcomes with research and clinical-grade solutions built on the world’s leading evidence-based scientific and medical content, precision AI, and expert human assessment. We champion inclusion and sustainability, working with the communities that we serve. The Elsevier Foundation supports research and health partnerships around the world.

Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, visit www.elsevier.com.

ATI and Elsevier are represented by Matthew J. Oppenheim, Michele H. Murphy, and Danae Tinelli of Oppenheim + Zebrak, LLP.

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