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Posted on July 15, 2009 | tags

 
 

U.S., World: Some foreign exchange students deal with nightmare conditions

  • They weren’t provided with food. In fact there is one incident with tape on food items in the refrigerator of the host family that says, ‘Do not touch. This is for the host family only.’ So basically they were neglected.
  • Lackawanna County, Pa. District Attorney Andrew Jarbola • Regarding the treatment of 12 foreign exchange students in Scranton, Pa. Many were underfed and lost lots of weight, housed with convicted felons and neglected. The students – from countries as far away as Norway, Colombia and Tanzania – were placed by the Aspect Foundation, some on State Department grants. By the end of the school year, five students were removed from awful host family situations. • source

Posted by Ernie Smith • Permalink


 
  • jodidimauro

    Having just hosted a Chinese exchange student on the program Academic Year in America, I can’t believe something like this went this far. Our home was instpected and we were interviewed prior to our student arriving. Also, a community liason between a group of students and the company was assigned and spoke to us and the student regularly. She took her and the other students on a few group activities as well. Our student acutaly gained 15lbs! I feel terrible that programs such as this would get this type of negative attention. It’s shamfull that American familys can treat other human beings with such disrespect. I support the cultural programs and feel they should all model Academic Year in America . Jodi from Ct

  • paul186

    Deplorable. All the finger pointing and money grubbing.
    It’s criminal, alright. The teens are especially at the stage the
    body and brain need food. I’m so ashamed of people, sometimes.

  • Sam Smith

    I think that the CNN report is missing something that is very interesting to those of you who like Washington dirt. “Aspect Education”, of which Aspect Foundation belonged was acquired a few years ago by Kaplan, the large and controversial test-prep & “education” company. They run some shoddy intensive English centers now called “Kaplan Aspect”. Well, Kaplan is part of the Washington Post group so, if I am not mistaken, The Aspect Foundation belongs to the bloody Washington Post. The Post recently had some scandals related to allegations of influence peddling. How is CNN missing this connection? If true, it’s juicy.

  • menbere

    Shame! Shame! Shame!
    Someone must pay dearly for this. After all I thought we were serious about rebuilding the image of the United States before the eyes of the world. Now we invite teenagers from around the world and abuse them. How reprehensible and greedy. Someone must pay dearly for his and those kids should be compensated. Apology from State Department would also be nice.

  • kelleytom

    I am ashamed to be an American. I’m a 55 yr. old male who would never respond on a blog … until tonight. I am s. old absolutely tired of hearing about all of this crap. As a nation we are so good at accusing other countries of the dismal way they treat their people. Hey America, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, or lest we forget. And then to have our ****ing politicians feign how angry they are when things like this happen. Same old bull**** rhetoric. YOU ARE THE GOVERNMENT … MORONS. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THINGS LIKE THIS DON’T HAPPEN. I am embarrassed and ashamed. We are a laughing stock to the rest of the world. Why the hell aren’t we marching in the streets to take our country back. Unless we as a people vote out ALL incumbents … that’s right … ALL of them, even the one’s that might be doing what you consider a good job, they’ll never learn. There is nothing stopping them from running again. When the day comes that they are ALL thrown out of office, by WE THE PEOPLE, then, and only then, will we be taken seriously by these incompetent clowns. Shakespeare said “kill all the lawyers.” Politicians are on the same rung of the ladder as far as I’m concerned. And one of the students who we, America, let starve, still said “Thank You”. How sad. Time for a Revolution. I hate my country!!
    Kelley in Calif.

  • catherine logan

    Iam a born American. I worked with international students who were living in different houses that the bussiness owner had on properties that were right near his bussinesses. I saw things that did not seem right. I had questioned some of the students about it. Though they could not defend themselves because they seemed scared of not having a place to stay. I knew they really did not have much money and they were payed below minimum. I remember he would take out so much out of thier checks. There is no way they could find another place to live without having enough money. I remember a couple of guys got kicked out of work and out of a place to live. One guy would sneak in late at night because his friends or room mates cared enough to risk there own situation. There is more to this story. All I want to say is I cant believe what I read but did not surprise me.
    I did have a problem with it and I remember when I decided to look into it because somethings just was very strange and had a feeling this was not legal. So I try to send an email to an agency that was government related but got no response. So I guess maybe it was not the right agency or maybe it was not important enough to investigate. After all I was an employee there
    . I had bumped heads with him a couple of times for 2 pay checks that were bounced and never owned up to paying me for the penalties that occured. So this guy was up to no good.
    So I think after reading this I felt better knowing that someone recognized this problem and now hopefully they will investigate all bussiness owners who employ foriegn students. Thats my opinion and the biggest bust they could possibly find is in your nearest franchize. One of them I know for sure is the Subway restaurants. Believe me, there are several of them in S.Tampa Fla.,that he ownes.

  • catherine logan

    Iam a born American. I worked with international students who were living in different houses that the bussiness owner had on properties that were right near his bussinesses. I saw things that did not seem right. I had questioned some of the students about it. Though they could not defend themselves because they seemed scared of not having a place to stay. I knew they really did not have much money and they were payed below minimum. I remember he would take out so much out of thier checks. There is no way they could find another place to live without having enough money. I remember a couple of guys got kicked out of work and out of a place to live. One guy would sneak in late at night because his friends or room mates cared enough to risk there own situation. There is more to this story. All I want to say is I cant believe what I read but did not surprise me.
    I did have a problem with it and I remember when I decided to look into it because somethings just was very strange and had a feeling this was not legal. So I try to send an email to an agency that was government related but got no response. So I guess maybe it was not the right agency or maybe it was not important enough to investigate. After all I was an employee there
    . I had bumped heads with him a couple of times for 2 pay checks that were bounced and never owned up to paying me for the penalties that occured. So this guy was up to no good.
    So I think after reading this I felt better knowing that someone recognized this problem and now hopefully they will investigate all bussiness owners who employ foriegn students. Thats my opinion and the biggest bust they could possibly find is in your nearest franchize. One of them I know for sure is the Subway restaurants. Believe me, there are several of them in S.Tampa Fla.,that he ownes.

  • catherine logan

    Iam a born American. I worked with international students who were living in different houses that the bussiness owner had on properties that were right near his bussinesses. I saw things that did not seem right. I had questioned some of the students about it. Though they could not defend themselves because they seemed scared of not having a place to stay. I knew they really did not have much money and they were payed below minimum. I remember he would take out so much out of thier checks. There is no way they could find another place to live without having enough money. I remember a couple of guys got kicked out of work and out of a place to live. One guy would sneak in late at night because his friends or room mates cared enough to risk there own situation. There is more to this story. All I want to say is I cant believe what I read but did not surprise me.
    I did have a problem with it and I remember when I decided to look into it because somethings just was very strange and had a feeling this was not legal. So I try to send an email to an agency that was government related but got no response. So I guess maybe it was not the right agency or maybe it was not important enough to investigate. After all I was an employee there
    . I had bumped heads with him a couple of times for 2 pay checks that were bounced and never owned up to paying me for the penalties that occured. So this guy was up to no good.
    So I think after reading this I felt better knowing that someone recognized this problem and now hopefully they will investigate all bussiness owners who employ foriegn students. Thats my opinion and the biggest bust they could possibly find is in your nearest franchize. One of them I know for sure is the Subway restaurants. Believe me, there are several of them in S.Tampa Fla.,that he ownes.

 

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