Exchange Students Neglected, Probe Finds

Calif. Nonprofit Investigated Over Charges Foreign Teens Were Malnourished

(AP)  A California nonprofit placed foreign exchange students in deplorable conditions in Pennsylvania, with some becoming malnourished or living in homes strewn with dog feces, and a prosecutor said the neglect merits criminal charges.

Lackawanna County Deputy District Attorney Michelle Olshefski said an investigation has confirmed that foreign exchange students were placed in unsuitable homes by a former employee of the Aspect Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that brings about 1,000 exchange students to the United States each year.

"The DA's office is convinced that criminal activity occurred, that there was a pattern of criminal neglect and a pattern of placing these children in danger, not only of physical harm but emotional and psychological harm," said Olshefski, who heads the special victims unit. "We believe that criminal charges are warranted."

Edna Burgett, a former area coordinator with Aspect, was fired after allegations surfaced in May that students were malnourished and living in homes whose floors were covered with dog feces. Burgett was paid $400 for each student she placed. A woman who answered the phone at Burgett's house hung up on a reporter Friday.

The scandal involves as many as a dozen exchange students from Vietnam, Tanzania, Nigeria, Denmark, Colombia, Norway and France. Most have returned to their home countries.

The U.S. State Department, which regulates private student exchange organizations like Aspect, has imposed a range of penalties on the nonprofit, including a 15 percent reduction in the number of visas it will be allowed to distribute next school year.

"Aspect Foundation fully acknowledges that what happened in Scranton was deplorable and in complete violation of their own strict standards and those of the Department of State's Exchange Visitor Program," Aspect spokeswoman Karen Walsh wrote in an e-mail.

She wrote that the foundation has corrected the problems, fired or accepted resignations of those responsible, and established procedures "to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again."

Olshefski declined to say whether or when charges would be filed or who would be charged. But she said an investigation continues into whether others knew or should have known that the students were being mistreated.

"We have our suspicions that others, in a way, played a part in Edna's ability to do what she did. Our investigation continues into whether their conduct rises to be criminal," she said.

A grand jury has been investigating the scandal. Because grand jury proceedings in Pennsylvania are secret, Olshefski stressed that her comments are based on a criminal probe that took place outside the grand jury.

[quotelawrence]

what surprises me most is this is a taxpayers burden, wake up, why should we be paying to bring foreigners here they sneek across the border for free.

[aChangeOfIdeas]

It happens both ways, as a teacher I've had students report wonderful experiences abroad, but some not so great (one girl's French host family went off on 'holiday' for a month while she was there and left her alone... then locked her out of the house upon their return and she never got her stuff back) But for the students that come here it seems about 50/50 for the experiences. So many of them end up having to switch host families because of problems! It's really a shame that all exchange students can't go back with positive experiences, no wonder many foreigners have poor opinions of us.

[WillEChee]

This situation is not unfamiliar. Another California based exchange student program had similar problems in rural Arizona in the recent past. An enterprising individual discovered she could make money placing students. She placed them with families on welfare, old relatives residing alone, and pilfered their bank accounts when they were ill, under the guise of needing money to go to town and get medications! The matter came to my attention and my assistance was recruited in finding the students better homes. I took over the woman's job as area coordinator. Doing the job right, is work. Keeping tabs on the students and doing home visits are all part of the package. Plenty of room for abuse. We eventually discontinued placements, as students arrived believing the America they were coming to was sky scrapers, discos and beaches, not as a boy from Equador stated "A third world country 90 miles from a drugstore." Good is there though. I still correspond with a "daughter" in Hong Kong. It's like anything else: greedy people will screw it up.

[ellenblue]

Prosecution is indeed warrented!! My teen daughter was an exchanged student in England and was treated like family where she stayed. She was taken in and cared for so well, she did not want to leave her new friends and family. She was over in England during the attacks on their subway and even during their dark time, the english people protected my daugter as their own.....for which I will never be able to fully express my profound gratitude to them. Then to hear that my fellow Americans allow such deplorable treatment of these kids is completely inexcusable!! Prosecute all concern to the maximum letter of the law!