Complaint to Department of Justice

------- Original Message --------
Subject: Complaint against CET USA
From: <dgrijalva@csfes.org>
Date: Wed, November 04, 2020 1:48 pm
To: "Henry Scott" <ScottHC@state.gov>, "State High School Exchanges
Joele" <highschoolexchanges@state.gov>
Cc: "CETUSA Rick Anaya" <rickanaya.11@gmail.com>, "Keith H"
<cetusapa@gmail.com>, "CETUSA Terry" <terry@cetusa.org>, "Chris Page"
<Cpage@csiet.org>, "CSIET Anna Damewood" <Anna@csiet.org>, "CSIET Nia
Butler" <Nia@csiet.org>, "NCMEC Sherry Bailey" <Sbailey@ncmec.org>,
"NCMEC John Clark" <Jclark@ncmec.org>, "Russ Johnson"
<RJohnson@NCMEC.ORG>, "Laura Silver" <lsilver@ncmec.org>, "NCMEC Patty
Wetterling" <Pwetterling@ncmec.org>, "chiefoatten@carrolltonwp.com"
<chiefoatten@carrolltonwp.com>, "highschool@cetusa.org"
<highschool@cetusa.org>, "kimberly.carter@cetusa.org"
<kimberly.carter@cetusa.org>, "ryan.d.holden@stateoig.gov"
<ryan.d.holden@stateoig.gov>, "Consulate Brazil In Chicago"
<central@brazilconsulatechicago.org>, "Consulate Brazil"
<consular@brasilemb.org>, "Thailand Consulate Songsak"
<nooxnix@gmail.com>

U.S. Department of State
Mr. Henry Scott

U.S. Department of State
Office of Inspector General
Ryan D. Holden

Re: Host parent: Cindy Redburn-Harley, Saginaw, Michigan
Students: Stephani Itami, Brazil and Sitanan Rojanapaibulya, Thailand
Exchange organization: CETUSA, Grand Rapids Headquarters (highschool@cetusa.org)
Representatives contacted: Marla at GRH, Lisa Danden, and Shelley Barnes

Dear Mr. Scott and Mr. Holden,

This is a complaint against CET USA.

CET USA failed to perform a criminal background check on host parent Cindy Redburn-Harley.

You will read in the email below from high school counselor of Carrollton High School Ms. Amy Norton, "When our High School Liason Office did a local criminal background check on Cindy it came up with 19 incidents in which her name was associated with police investigation. She was arrested 3 times. Rock had served time in jail according to another search."

CET USA has violated the following Federal Regulations as follows:

1. § 62.25 Secondary school students (d)Program administration (3) Have been vetted annually through a criminal background check (which must include a search of the Department of Justice's National Sex Offender Public Registry.

You will read in the email below, "As you will see, the school councellor tried to contact several people within CETUSA before contacting Child Protective Services. CETUSA have neglected to follow up on the complaints and both girls continue living in a very dangerous situation."

You will also read, "Stephani said that no one from CET came to check on them in the home once they were there but that her mom had attempted to communicate concerns and report that drugs and too many people were living in the home. Even with these reports to CET USA, no one went to check on the well being of the girls."

CET USA has violated the following Federal Regulations as follows:

2. § 62.25 Secondary school students (d) Program administration (1) Are adequately trained. Sponsors must administer training for local coordinators that specifically includes, at a minimum, instruction in: Conflict resolution; procedures for handling and reporting emergency situations; awareness or knowledge of child safety standards; information on sexual conduct codes; procedures for handling and reporting allegations of sexual misconduct or any other allegations of abuse or neglect; and the criteria to be used to screen potential host families and exercise good judgment when identifying what constitutes suitable host family placements.

CET USA's nonresponse to this school counselor's concerns reflect an absence of respect or concern for State Department regulations and enforcement that I repeatedly see in foreign student exchange agencies. It is time for the State Department to implement and enforce full, fingerprint criminal background checks on host families in the Federal Regulations.

Respectfully,

Danielle Grijalva, Director
Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students
660 Joshua Tree Street | Imperial, CA 92251
www.csfes.org / 760-583-9593

Laws can embody standards; governments can enforce laws--but the final task is not a task for government. It is a task for each and every one of us. Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted--when we tolerate what we know to be wrong--when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy, or too frightened--when we fail to speak up and speak out--we strike a blow against freedom and decency and justice.
-- Robert Francis Kennedy

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Carrolton Township Police Department, Chief of Police Craig A. Oatten

CSIET, Mr. Chris Page

CET USA

-------- Original Message --------

Subject: CETUSA Complaint, Child welfare concern, #meetoo, Saginaw
Michigan
From: CSFES Norway <margarethesdatter@csfes.org>
Date: Wed, April 10, 2019 4:36 am
To: Agalert@state.gov, HighSchoolExchanges@state.gov,
JExchanges@state.gov, RoyceM@state.gov
Cc: Daniella Grijalva <dgrijalva@csfes.org>, AlexanderJT@state.gov,
sthelen@gocavs.net, highschool@cetusa.org, anorton@gocavs.net

Dear Sirs and Madams,

Student: Stephani Itami, Brazil and Sitanan Rojanapaibulya, Thailand

Host parent: Cindy Redburn-Harley

Carrolton High School, Principal Shawn Thelen (sthelen@gocavs.net)

Exchange organization: CETUSA, Grand Rapids Headquarters (highschool@cetusa.org)

Representatives contacted: Marla at GRH, Lisa Danden, and Shelley Barnes

The following email was received by CSFES from Councellor Amy Norton (anorton@gocavs.net) of Carrolton High School on April 3rd 2019 regarding the above students. As you will see, the school councellor tried to contact several people within CETUSA before contacting Child Protective Services. CETUSA have neglected to follow up on the complaints and both girls continue living in a very dangerous situation.

Message

On 4/3/19 Stephani Itami, age 18, a foreign exchange student from Brazil, came into the Counseling Office and began crying.

She reported that on the evening of 4/2/19 a man, known to Stephani only as Rock, was in the bedroom she shares with another foreign exchange student, Sitanan Rojanapaibulya, age 17, from Thailand. Rock is described as a black Male, approximately 55 years of age. Stephani reported that Rock laid on her bed with his torso across her legs and talked to both girls about his concern he has with one of the other home occupants, Joe, described to be approximately 23.

Rock told that girls that Joe watches them when they walk by him and particularly sexualizes Sitanan because she has a "thick bootie". Joe said that he doesn't look at Sitanan that way and that he feels like he needs to protect the girls from Joe. Rock told Stephanie that he feels differently about her. He told her that he is in love with her because she is funny, smart and beautiful. He also told Stephani that Cindy has accused Rock of “fucking” Stephani. Rock again talked about how he would protect both girls and indicated that he has killed a man before for touching his younger sister. Stephani became fearful and moved her legs causing Rock to get up. He talked to both girls for a few moments longer when Cindy Redburn-Hartley came home from work at approximately 9:30pm.

CIndy is the host mother to the two foreign exchange students. Rock left the room to talk to her. Stephani went to the living room to use the computer for school work and when she finished she said that she had bent over to unplug her cellphone when Rock walked behind her and rubbed her thigh and butt with his hand as he passed. She stated that she was in shock and did not do or say anything, but went into the kitchen where Sitanan, Cindy and Rock were at talking.

While in the kitchen Stephani said that Rock had become animated and at two seperate times he patted her butt, in the presence of Cindy. Cindy did not say anything. Stephani went to the bathroom and called her mother in Brazil and reported what had happened. She then contacted another foreign exchange student and told him what had happened.

Stephani said that Cindy had turned off the WiFi on the girls and refused internet access to them after Stephani had reported to the CET USA agency that too many people were living in the home and they were doing drugs and appeared drunk often. Stephani reported that part of the foreign exchange regulations required the home to be drug free, however, a prior boyfriend was living in the home when the girls arrived to the United States, named Jasper, and he was said to smoke marijuana in the bedroom he shared with Cindy. Cindy denied this and was told by the agency to try to talk to Cindy about her concerns. According to Stephani, Cindy said she never smelled marijuana and did not believe Stephanie.

When Jasper moved out in December of 2018, CIndy's niece and boyfriend moved in and are currently sleeping on an air mattress in the laundry room of the home. At the same time, Rock moved into the home as well. These individuals were not reported to CET USA. Stephani also told me that Cindy told the girls that they were going to take a trip over spring break to visit Sitanan's family in California. However, once in California, Cindy demanded that Stephani and Sitanan give her the money to cover their trip. Stephani had to ask her mother in Brazil to wire the money to Cindy. Stephani also observed Cindy take money from Sitanan to pay for Cindy's niece to go to Disney World.

Our school liaison officer, Officer Jim Kellet, was contacted and he took a report from Stephani. I made numerous attempts to make contact with individuals through the CET USA Agency and express my concerns for the well being of these two girls. I spoke to a woman by the name of Marla through the Grand Rapids Headquarters and she told me that sometimes when kids are unhappy where they are they will bring stuff up. She also left me a voice message stating that she had spoken to the host mom, Cindy, and Cindy told her that she and Stephani had gotten into an argument the night before because she wouldn't let Stephani go to a boys house and Marla believes this has something to do with what Stephani reported to me. I did not return her phone call.

Cindy reported to the high school principal that she had a friend in the CETUSA Agency that begged her to take the two students. It is my opinion that these two girls a vulnerable because they are in a Foreign Country, present language barriers, and had their ability to have access to communicate with others outside the home limited, unless they paid for their own data. This puts them at risk of grooming behavior, which I believe was occurring between Rock and Stephani, and because the Agency was not acting as an advocate on behalf of these students, they are exacerbating the risk.

After taking down all relevant information, I contacted several individuals, the CET Regional Director, Lisa Dandan at 1-989-854-6035. I told her that I was concerned about the safety of the two students and that it was urgent I receive a phone call. I also let her know that I had contacted our local law enforcement and that I would need to contact CPS if I didn’t hear back from her. As of 4/5/19 I have not received a return phone call from Lisa. I also called the MI Headquarters office located in Grand Rapids (616-710-4901) at 9:58am. I left the same detailed message for the Director of CETUSA and said it was urgent and that I had already contacted Lisa and have not heard back from her.

As of 4/5/19 I have not received a return phone call from the Director. I did receive a phone call from a woman that identified herself as Marla located in the same office as the Director in Grand Rapids, and was told that they were working on plan to place the students in a new home. I expressed concern that it was urgent, and that Stephani did not feel safe and did not want to return to this current host family. I also told her that I had left two messages with other individuals. I had also contacted Child Protective Services prior to hearing from Marla and created a report. Marla commented to me that she had never heard of any complaints about the host mother before today and said that sometimes kids don’t feel comfortable talking to them but feel comfortable talking to teachers. She also suggested that sometimes kids make things up because they are not happy where they are at. Marla also told me that they had already received information about the incident because Stephani, according to her, had reached out to another Foreign Exchange student that was living with the local, regional director, Lisa, and told him what had happened. Marla implied that they were already working on a plan to relocate the girls earlier in the morning but failed to notify the school.

I received a phone message from Marla at 1:32pm. Marla told me that someone would be at the school to pick the girls up at the end of the day, but she didn’t know who it would be. She said that once she knew she would call and let me know. I did not receive a phone call back from Marla. At 2:21 pm I called and left a message for her asking for the name of the individual that was picking the girls up and a phone number so that I could let the person know that our school officer was going to the home with them to get their personal belongings and ensure that the girls were safe. Again, I did not receive a phone call back from her until after the girls were already picked up from school by another CETUSA member named Shelley.

At 3:59pm I received a message from Marla that she was sorry she missed my call and did not know she had a missed call. Her phone wasn’t working. In her message she also stated that she had spoken with the Host family earlier in the day and that the mother had denied everything, said she was really hurt and that she thinks Stephani made all of this up because she had gotten into an argument the night before about not letting Stephani go to a friends house. Marla suggested that this may be the reason Stephani did not want to go back to the home. Marla seemed to really put 100% trust into what she was being told by the Host mother and that Stephani made it all up because she wasn’t getting her way.

Additional information that may be helpful is that Cindy Redford told our high school principal, Shawn Thelen, that she is friends with someone in CETUSA and they kept hounding her to take one student and when she agreed they begged her to take another one.

When our High School Liason Office did a local criminal background check on Cindy it came up with 19 incidents in which her name was associated with police investigation. She was arrested 3 times. Rock had served time in jail according to another search.

When Officer Jim Kellet went to the home with the CETUSA person and Sitanan to get all the belongings, he took the identification from the niece and her boyfriend who were in the home at the time, he observed the computer in the living room with a plug outlet next to it, as described by Stephani, and he observed an air mattress set up in the laundry room in close proximity to a hot water heater and the laundry machines. Stephani said that no one from CET came to check on them in the home once they were there but that her mom had attempted to communicate concerns and report that drugs and too many people were living in the home. Even with these reports to CET USA, no one went to check on the well being of the girls.

(Name of reporting party deleted)

We ask that you take action as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Lise Lotte M. Almenningen
CSFES Norway

Cc: Carrolton High School: Councellor Amy Norton, Principal Shawn Thelen (sthelen@gocavs.net) and Liaison Officer Jim Kellett

Cc: CETUSA: Michigan office: highschool@cetusa.org,

**************************

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Were sanctions imposed? - Center for Cultural Inter change aka
CCI Greenheart aka Greenheart Exchange
From: <dgrijalva@csfes.org>
Date: Thu, July 23, 2020 7:46 pm
To: "STATE Mark Howard" <HowardME@state.gov>, "State High School
Exchanges Joele" <highschoolexchanges@state.gov>, "State Diane Culkin"
<Culkinde@state.gov>

United States Department of State
Branch Chief Mark Howard
Ms. Diane Culkin
Ms. Olga O'Neil

Dear Chief Howard, Ms. Culkin and Ms. O'Neil,

Please accept my third request via email inquiring weather the State Department imposed sanctions against Greenheart Exchange for placing one of its participants in the home of a convicted felon?

You will read below, this case made headlines, even reaching Spain:

Ex-Miami exchange student charged in sexual-abuse case gets house arrest
Exclusive: Placement Agency Not Cooperating In Exchange Student Sex Case
Sex with young students, shocking suicide cast scrutiny on foreign-exchange programs
Alamonte Springs man accused of having sex with foreign exchange student
El viaje de estudios de una española a Miami que acabó en un siniestro caso de abusos sexuales a su hermana
Alertan de fallos al revisar los antecedentes penales de familias que acogen a escolares extranjeros en EE.UU.
Amid sex abuse probe, Miami schools call for tougher screening of foreign exchange programs
11 Exchange Student Records Found at Home Before Sex Crime Suspect Committed Suicide

Respectfully,

Danielle Grijalva, Director
Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students
660 Joshua Tree Street | Imperial, CA 92251
www.csfes.org / 760-583-9593

United States President Donald J. Trump via U.S. Mail with news articles

NCMEC

**************************

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Complaint against EF High School Exchange Year
From: <dgrijalva@csfes.org>
Date: Wed, March 04, 2020 12:29 pm
To: "State High School Exchanges Joele" <highschoolexchanges@state.gov>

United States Department of State
Ms. Olga O'Neal
Dear Ms. O'Neal,

This is a complaint against EF High School Exchange Year. Please be advised of today's headlines.

Foreign exchange student coordinator charged with child pornography

Thomas Boatright of Council Bluffs, faces felony charges of child exploitation and child pornography

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa —

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa has charged Thomas D. Boatright of Council Bluffs with four counts of child exploitation and child pornography.

Boatright, 50, worked as an independent contractor for EF High School Exchange Year, an organization that promotes student exchange programs. And according to the organization, children were removed from Boatright's home when allegations against him surfaced.

In a federal indictment, Boatright is accused of improper conduct with three children. Boatright allegedly engaged children in sexually explicit conduct where they exposed themselves and he took a photo or video of them.

Federal prosecutors also allege Boatright sent images of the children across state lines.

The alleged exploitation took place between August, 2019 and February 13, 2020.

The ages of the children were not disclosed in the indictment.

In a statement, a spokesperson for EF High School Exchange year said upon learning of the allegations, it reported the situation to authorities and to the parents of students staying with Boatright.

"We placed the students with temporary caregivers and are working with everyone to provide as much support as needed," said EF High School Exchange Year in a statement.

"This individual has been permanently removed from our program and will not be eligible to host students in the future."

The organization said it could not offer any other details out of respect for the privacy of those involved.
Sincerely,

Danielle Grijalva, Director
Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students
660 Joshua Tree Street | Imperial, CA 92251
www.csfes.org / 760-583-9593

**************************

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: N0030535367 Adrine Jensen, EF endangered the health and safety
of the exchange student
From: margarethesdatter <margarethesdatter@csfes.org>
Date: Wed, February 19, 2020 12:17 pm
To: Branch Chief Mark Howard <howardm@state.gov>, Division Chief Private
Sector Diane Culkin <culkinde@state.gov>, HighSchoolExchanges@state.gov,
ECA Evaluation Division <ecaevaluation@state.gov>
Cc: linda.skagerberg@ef.com, Daniella Grijalva <dgrijalva@csfes.org>,
Pål_Mathisen <pa-mathi@online.no>, maritha-helen@hotmail.com,
jonas.kjerve@ef.com, tonje.nyberg@ef.com, haley.stein@ef.com,
dawn.brasch@ef.com, nia@csiet.org

Adrine Jensen, Status: Inactive, .
U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)
Private Sector Exchanges
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20522
- Division Chief Diane E. Culkin
- Branch Chief Mark Howard

Dear Madam and Sir,

Re: Exchange student Andrine Jensen, N0030535367. Gilbert, Arizona.

- Endangering the health, safety and welfare of the exchange visitor.

As you know all J-1 Visa students are required to fill out thorough medical forms in order to earn their visa and so their sponsor programs can allocate them the safest possible host family for their needs. Andrine's mother is a cardiological nurse and understands the importance of as accurate as possible medical information. As a result the family ensured the information on the medical form included information regarding her migraine and that her HUB on EF's sites clearly showed that Andrine, under no circumstance, should be placed in a smoker's home (see enclosed clip from HUB and page 1 on EFs Certificate of Health).

EF in the US is a large organization that takes in many foreign exchange students and are expected by State to do their duty with regards to safe placements. However, all levels from Boston to Gilbert, Arizona, utterly failed in this case. As a result Andrine had a migraine reaction serious enough that the right side of her body was temporarily paralyzed and she temporarily lost sight in her right eye. She also had to visit ER where they gave her 1.5 liters of fluid and the advice to stay away from smoke. The reason EF gave for returning Andrine home was homesickness and a lack of effort to fit in. They deny any responsibility for what happened.

In reality, her parents became terrified of the deterioration of their daughter's health. Also they discovered that IEC Paula Parsons made no effort to find a new host family (as instructed by EF Denver and Boston) for their daughter that they had to remove her from the program for her own safety. Andrine's parents also discovered that the family that Andrine had been placed with had a suicidal daughter and that EF knew about this. Neither EF in Boston nor EF in Norway took the matter seriously.

In addition, they accidentally discovered that the local IECs (Paula Parsons and Holly Johansson) were spreading false rumors about Andrine to host families. IEC Parsons did NOT contact the school or support Andrine with regards to her schoolwork. Rather Andrine had to handle everything herself when it came to adjustments in keeping up with her schoolwork, make-up tests. However, it is true that Andrine's health was affected, as seen above. Andrine made friends at school and tried to be an obedient and good exchange family member in spite of the challenges she met.

She was placed with a host family who all smoked. Some, or all of them, smoked both nicotine and cannabis. The host-sister she shared a room with smoked in the bedroom. EF and the host family tried to claim that since smoking was in the form of vaping, that it was completely harmless. This goes completely against medical research findings and common sense, but is certainly a convenient excuse to make.

When Andrine was taken out of the home for a short time to live with an IEC, she was given a bed and bedding that were too small and she was expected to sleep on the couch every other week. Both IECs told her to stop making excuses and socialize more with family members rather than take naps and catch up with her homework and tests.

The IECs or EF consistently lied to Andrine's parents about her behavior, and they lied to Andrine about her parent's intentions, even though they had to know that she was in continuous contact with them. The types of behaviors exhibited by both IECs have medical diagnoses attached to them.

Please ensure that medical information regarding exchange students is taken seriously by EF in Boston and their local representatives and that students are not placed in homes that endanger their health and safety. There must be consequences for ignoring medical information.

Sincerely
Lise Lotte Margarethesdatter Almenningen, CSFES

CC:
Danielle Grijalva, CSFES
CSIET
Pål Mathisen
Maritha Jensen
EF Boston, Denver, Norway and Sweden

------------

CSFES Note: Please see response from Norways Diku - Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education dated November 6, 2020:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: N0030535367 Adrine Jensen, EF endangered the health and safety
of the exchange student
From: margarethesdatter <margarethesdatter@csfes.org>
Date: Fri, November 06, 2020 9:03 am
To: HighSchoolExchanges <HighSchoolExchanges@state.gov>, Branch Chief
Mark Howard <howardm@state.gov>, ECA Evaluation Division
<ecaevaluation@state.gov>, Reporting incidents <agalert@state.gov>
Cc: jonas.kjerfve@ef.com, Kathrine.Raknerud@ef.com, Daniella Grijalva
<dgrijalva@csfes.org>, Pål_Mathisen <pa-mathi@online.no>,
dawn.brasch@ef.com, haley.stein@ef.com

Dear Sirs and Madams,

I remind you of the case of EF High School's exchange student (N0030535367) Andrine Jensen from Norway who was placed with a host family that endangered her health and whose representative did not react to that danger as soon as possible.

The Norwegian equivalent of your ECA (i.e. DIKU) has sent their judgement regarding this matter to EF and in concert with Andrine's parents CSFES is forwarding that judgement along to you with an English translation.

Sincerely

Lise Lotte Margarethesdatter Almenningen

CSFES

cc: EF Sweden, EF Norway, EF High School

cc: Danielle Grijalva

cc: Pål Mathisen

"This is DIKU’s consideration

Alleged breach of the conditions for approval of educational aid

Diku considers that the information received via the inquiry indicates the following violation of the conditions of approval, which is given in the regulations:

1. Violation of § 6, section one of the regulations: «It is the exchange organization’s responsibility to place the student in suitable host families that meet the average standards of living as seen in the country of residence, including financial and housing conditions."

a. Andrine was placed in an unsuitable home as several of the household’s members smoked, and the student had informed about her sensitivity to smoke before departure.

b. Andrine was not informed in advance that she would share a room with the host sister, nor that the host sister suffers from a mental condition which the organization could be expected to understand would be a burden for the exchange student.

2. Violation of § 6, section two of the regulations: «The organization shall have a local representativeavailable to the student. The representative shall, as soon as possible, assist the student in emergency situations, and shall, without undue delay, assist the student in other matters relating to schools and host homes."

a. Andrine's representative did not assist the student as would be expected. Additionally, they contributed to a deterioration of the student's experience.

3. Violation of § 6, section three of the regulations: «The organization shall, as soon as possible, ensure the student's safety if there is reasonable suspicion regarding circumstances which entail a risk to the student's safety, life or health. The organization should, as soon as possible, put in place necessary measures if conditions in the host home or at the school are contrary to what the student can reasonably expect. "

a. Before the time placement was organized the organization should have been aware of the risks of smoking to Andrine, ref “as soon as possible ...”. When the damage did occur, "necessary measures" included the obligation to find a new and suitable host home as conditions in the original the host home «are contrary to what the student can reasonably expect» for the student, as much as possible continue their stay. In this case, where the sensitivity to smoke was divulged before placement, the student's reasonable expectations must clearly be considered not met.

4. Violation of § 8, section one, second sentence of the regulations: «The exchange organization shall, without undue delay, notify the Ministry, or who the Ministry designates, about [...] incidents that negatively affects the student's safety and that may affect whether the the conditions in § 6 are met."

a. The organization has not reported the incidents related to Andrine’s exchange stay to Diku, even though the events negatively affected the student's health and safety, and the reason for this is seen as the organization’s faulty routines.

Sincerely, Aud"

From: Aud Trohaug aud.trohaug@diku.no

***************************

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Problems ISE - Hosting
From: Name of Reporting Party Deleted
Date: Wed, September 16, 2020 6:35 am
To: "DGrijalva@csfes.org" <DGrijalva@csfes.org>

Hej Danielle

I contact you, because your name keeps coming up, when searching the internet in cases regarding Exchange students.

Short, our daughter landed 14 days ago in a nightmare in Gilbert Minnisota as an exchange student. She spent 5 days in a horrible unhealthy house, that was coming apart. Her basic needs were not meet and she reached a point, where she had not hardly had anything to eat in 5 days, beardly any sleep. Completely ignored by the single host mom, no empathy, caring, understanding etc. She arrived late US time after 24 hours of travelling alone. She was handed a 4 page letter, told to go to bed and read it by morning. Letter is attached.

She call us in panic and I told her to go to a friends house call ISE rep Rose Hawkins. I informed myself the host mom, that Julie wouldn´t be in the house, when she came home. But we never heard anything and all of a sudden ISE NY took over and concluded, that due to this action (Which was against state department law), she would have to return home. She is current by a lovely family, which also would take her for the rest of the year. But ISE says Julie is not mature enough and we broke the law ???

Now, when we dig into this, it comes to our attention, that ISE has had a lot of problems in that state/area. Rose Hawkins name keep popping up in complaints and cases from many other exchange students.

Julie is leaving Friday and we really want Julie to stay, but ISE says NO.

It smells bad. There is something wrong and it seems that ISE sends Julie home to shut us up. It turns out that this host mom has had 4 other students, where 2 of them also left. And she was supposed to have a placement.

Do you have any experience with ISE and especially Rose Hawkins and problems in Minnesota.

I have today sent a letter to CEO Wayne Brewer and Program Manager Michael Southard.

I will not take to much of your time. Just hear your experience in short with this.

I attach pictures of Julies placement. Be aware the smell, mold etc Also the letter sent to ISE today.

Hope you spare 5 min answering me shortly.

Name of Reporting Party Deleted

***************************

Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students

August 9, 2014

U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20530

Dear Honorable Attorney General,

This is a complaint with request for investigation of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Below please find complaint sent to the U.S. Department of State on August 5, 2014. Included is an email from a natural mother of Finland describing the alleged treatment of her son while supervised by
Ms. Rose Hawkins, Regional Director of International Student Exchange USA (ISE USA) of Long Prairie, MN.

Please be advised this is not an isolated incident.

This pattern of abuse harms these children and is ruining the reputation of the United States.

Please contact me as soon as your schedule permits so that we may forward to your attention the previous complaints sent to the State Department's attention about this very person and same student placement agency, Ms. Rose Hawkins, Regional Director of International Student Exchange USA (ISEUSA).

Respectfully,

Danielle Grijalva, Director
Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students
P.O. Box 6496 / Oceanside, CA 92052
www.csfes.org / 760-583-9593

Laws can embody standards; governments can enforce laws--but the final task is not a task for government. It is a task for each and every one of us. Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted--when we tolerate what we know to be wrong--when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy, or too frightened--when we fail to speak up and speak out--we strike a blow against freedom and decency and justice.
-- Robert Francis Kennedy

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Minnesota | FINLAND Complaint | Ms. Rose Hawkins of International Student Exchange USA (ISEUSA) [FWD: Case from Long Prairie, Minnesota 2013-14]
From: <dgrijalva@csfes.org>
Date: Tue, August 05, 2014 12:21 am
To: "Alexander T" <AlexanderJT@state.gov>, "Susan Geary" <GearySA@state.gov>, "Elizabeth Dickerson" <DickersonEB@state.gov>, "Stanley Colvin" <Colvinss@state.gov>, "Brandi Duffy"<duffyb@state.gov>, "State High School Exchanges Joele" <highschoolexchanges@state.gov>,

State" ruschTL@state.org>, "State Department J. Theagene" <Theagene@state.gov>, "Nicole Deaner"
<DeanerN@state.gov>, "Handleyka@state.gov" <Handleyka@state.gov>, "Ida Abell" <AbellIE@state.gov>,
"Hawkins S" <hawkinsks@state.gov>, "Henry Scott" <ScottHC@state.gov> Cc: "Finland Consul Lasse Baldauf"
<lasse.baldauf@finpro.fi>, "Finland Consulate Markkanen"<juha.markkanen@formin.fi>, "Finland Consul Pekka Parnanen" <pekka.parnanen@finpro.fi>, "Finland Consul Jukka Pietikainen" <jukka.pietikainen@formin.fi>, "Finland Consul Sanomat" <sanomat.los@formin.fi>, "Finland Consul Sanomat.was" <sanomat.was@formin.fi>, "Bill Bonomo" <bill@iseusa.org>, "Wayne Brewer" <wayne@iseusa.com>

United States Department of State
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Mr. James Alexander
Ms. Susan Geary
Ms. Robin Lerner
Washington, DC 20522

Dear Mr. Alexander, Ms. Geary and Ms. Lerner,

Please accept another another complaint against International Student Exchange USA (ISEUSA).

Email below from the natural parents of former ISEUSA participant XXXX of Finland placed in Long Prairie, Minnesota, exchange year 2013-2014, is for your review.

Who was the impartial student advocate assigned to former ISEUSA participant XXXXXXXX of Finland? It is important youth serving organizations do not allow for the same individuals to continue making the
same mistakes that impact the well-being and safety of teens. Recall the laws that were established in Minnesota to further protect exchange students and reputation of America:

Minnesota Deputy Secretary of State Interviewed to Discuss Laws Established to Protect
Children

Laws Enforced to Protect Foreign Exchange Students and Reputation of United States
Minnesota's Deputy Secretary of State

Jim Gelbmann Date of Interview: July 16, 2009

SHELBY: Understood. You're a good man, Jim Gelbmann. Jim Gelbmann
is Deputy Secretary of State and he has worked tirelessly to try to get the
state to change its regulations, policies and laws regarding the foreign
exchange student program in the state of Minnesota. And there has been
a company CETUSA, C-E-T-U-S-A and you may see that from time to
time you might even get some queries from the Council for Educational
Travel USA. Back in the day when I was in high school, there was nothing
more fabulous than foreign exchange students coming in an bring their
knowledge of their own country and telling us about that and then learning
about America and helping us teach. And then I've run into some of them
in later years and they would say it was the greatest experience I've ever
had in my life.

Here in Minnesota, we are the host to lots of them because we're a very
open state and we want to be a part of that process but it doesn't always
turn out well because the companies that are looking for these families
apparently, apparently, are not doing a very good job of screening them,
we've got lists, and lists and lists if you've been listening to the program,
we're talking about sex abuse, we talking pornography, we talking about
convicts, we're talking about taking of money from these individuals, that
is not the kind of impression that I as an American want to leave on a
young person, or any person whatsoever who comes to our country to
visit and then goes back home and says they never want to go back to
that place again; they're terrible, terrible people Jim Gelbmann and I agree
on that sort of soft element of that legislation. The hard element of course
is making sure that these companies don't have a right to operate if they're
not doing it right in this state of Minnesota. The good news is that Jim has
told us, it has been signed by the Governor which is now a matter of law in
the state of Minnesota. As you looked around, you said you began
investigating one case, but then you soon realized there were a lot more
cases out there. Can you talk about a few of those?

GELBAMANN: Sure, Don. Probably the most common problem that
happened with the CETUSA organization in multiple high schools
throughout the state is that they would bring more students over to
Minnesota than they had families to place them in. And, again, that is
against the federal regulations, as well. Federal law requires the
organization to have us signed contract with a host family one month
before the student arrives in the States. And what would regularly happen
is CETUSA would have three or four host families signed up for a
specific school and five or six students would be bought over, and then
CETUSA would frantically search for host families for the students. In one
case that was documented actually

WCCO TV a number of years ago, I think back in 2006 um, one CETUSA
organization uh, uh, coordinator had six students student living in her
basement, had six foreign exchange students living in her basement
because she couldn't find host families for them --

SHELBY: And that is violation of law -

GELBMANN: And that is a violation of law right then and there."
You may read the interview here: Minnesota Deputy Secretary of State
Interviewed to Discuss Laws Established to Protect Children

1/6/2010

Governor of Minnesota signs bill to further protect foreign exchange
students within its state.

This repeated pattern of abuse and neglect of foreign exchange students must be thoroughly investigated. As State continues to look the other way, as it has repeatedly over the years; a copy of the concerns of XXXXX
of Finland will be sent to the United States Senators of Minnesota. A copy will be sent to the Minnesota State Office of Education. A copy will be sent to the Long Prairie Board of Education.

And always: the media.

cc
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Consul General of Finland

International Student Exchange USA (ISEUSA), Mr. Wayne Brewer and

Ms. Rose Hawkins

Lone Prairie Police Department
Police Chief Kevin Langer
Sergeant Duane Breiter

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Case from Long Prairie, Minnesota 2013-14
From: "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
Date: Thu, July 31, 2014 6:15 am
To: Complaint@csfes.org

Dear Sir/Madam,
here's some hardships what our son, Finnish 17-years old boy, XXXXXXXXX faced during
his exchange year 2013-14 in Minnesota, Long Prairie (mostly about the area rep Rose
Hawkins / ISE):

- XXXX took pictures at family Huttunen's home (his first host-family), where the
conditions were horrible and uninhabitable (some pictures attached). It's irresponsible to
send a teenager to conditions like that. Area rep Rose Hawkins (ISE) required to see the
\pictures in XXXXX phone, and after that Rose told him to delete the pictures. XXXX
deleted them like requested.

Rose later claimed that the pictures were exaggerated and not from areas where XXXXX
would have had to live. The pictures were taken for example from the family's bathroom,
stairs (up and down), living room, moldy foods etc. We heard afterwards that the family
was placed in the new exchange student (chinese girl)....

- Pickup from family Huttunen: We made a deal with Finnish organization that XXXX
wouldn't be blamed of the transfer, but still XXXXXhad to explain the family how he
"couldn't live there because of his asthma". In that situation XXXX had to sign a paper,
which contents he doesn't know. We have still not received for a copy of that paper....

-XXXX was travelling a week with Rose Hawkins in the State Fair, because he didn't
have any other place to go. Rose wanted to send Aleksi to Wisconsin at this point.
Although Melisa Brever found a host family from Minnesota, Long Prairie. Due to an unknown reason the family/alone living man wasn't accepted as host family.

- Family Kleinschmidt (older couple) was willing to host XXXX. To be mentioned,
Kleinschmidt's and Rose's kids are married, so that's it about objectivity. Family
Kleinschmidt gets a reward trip every year from Rose for hosting exchange students.
Rose told XXXXX that there are no other host families, and nobody else would have
taken XXXX. So that XXXX needs to be grateful for Kleinschmidts because they've
"saved XXXXX". Later XXXXX has heard from many people that there would have been
other possible host families in that area (for example Zack Pierskalla's and Mitch Bauer's
families). Rose also told XXXXX that he's not allowed to be in any contact with the
Brever's (including Finnish exchange student xxxxxxx).
- Host parents (Family Kleinschmidt) went to bed about at 9 pm every night and woke up
already at early hours. The host dad told XXXXX and Dominik (the other exchange
student in the same family) that if boys won't spend more time with him, they won't be
welcome to the house anymore. Boys were pretty much on their own, and did a lot of
chores in the whole house. Even if the boys were out to eat at night, the host parents'
dishes were left for them to do. XXXXX had wished for more food, and he had to buy
some extra snacks for himself.
- Coldness was a huge problem in the house. From December to February there was
below +50F degrees upstairs, where the exchange students were sleeping. While
sleeping XXXXX had to wear a stocking hat, t-shirt, a shirt, a thick sweater, long
underwear, sweatpants, socks, woolen socks, and 4 blankets.
- When we tried to tell about these problems around christmas time, the nightmare
started. Monday January 13th Rose Hawkins leaves a message to the schools office,
that after school XXXXX gets picked up from the high school by Rose, and afterwards
she would take XXXXX to practice. First Rose drove XXXXX to her house, where she
yelled at XXXXX and required to see all his messages and e-mails, that he had sent to
us or the Finnish organization. Rose said that she would translate them. XXXXX didn't
show them to Rose, so she claimed that XXXXX is a liar and threatened to send him
back to Finland. After that they went to the host family's house where Rose told about
"XXXXX home sickness, why he sent hasty messages to Finland". Rose tried to
pressure the host parents to prevent XXXXXfrom playing hockey ("hockey shit" as Rose
told them). The host parents didn't want do this. Rose made XXXXX sign a paper which
said that everything is alright. The accurate contents XXXXX doesn't know because he
wasn't let to finish reading the paper. Rose didn't take XXXXX to practice as she
promised.
- January 13th Colleen (the host mom) shows Rose a Facebook message, where I asked
if everything was alright. Rose told XXXXX that the message was fake propaganda. The
day after XXXXX had a game. When XXXXX came home after midnight, he saw a note
on the table, that he has to call Rose right away. XXXXX called, and Rose told him to
dress up and be ready so that she can pick him up. That night ( yes, in the middle of the
night!) Rose picked up XXXX to her house. Fabio (the other exchange student) saw when
XXXXX left and came back, the host parents didn't get to know about it till the morning
after. Is this kind of action allowed in the rules or is it even legal?? Rose told XXXXX to
leave his cellphones in the car. The action was extremely organized and systematic.
Rose yelled at XXXXX that he had talked to his friend about bad living conditions. XXXXX
had to talk on the phone with some area representative from Wisconsin, who told XXXXX
that he has to do everything that Rose says. The area rep also said that XXXXX is not
allowed to talk anybody about his and Rose's conversations. XXXXX also had to sign a
probation paper, where he confessed all his mistakes and that he was a liar, he had
talked about things to the third party etc. Rose told XXXXX that even a one little mistake
and XXXXX goes back to Finland. She also told XXXXX that if he didn't sign the paper,
he would go back to Finland. XXXXX had to apologize Rose because of his behavior.
- The hand-written part of student problem resolution wasn't XXXXX's own text, Rose told
the exact words what XXXXX had to write. XXXXX asked Rose what would happen if he
disagreed and Rose said XXXXX would get sent back. All the claims in the papers were
written by Rose Hawkins and disagreeing was not an option. Consequences would have
been familiar - getting sent back.

Conclusion: XXXXX has been threatened, bashed, blamed, and casted a slur on
several times by Rose Hawkins and about things he couldn't affect on. Those
things weren't his fault. Rose has behaved very threateningly towards XXXXX.
Finland's organization encouraged all the time to tell if something was wrong and
every time we did it, Rose attacked against XXXXX by blaming, bashing and
threatening with sending him back to Finland. She has tried to get rid of him
continuously. She's supposed to be the trustworthy and supportive adult. Instead,
she's very sick, scary and unstable human-being who threatens and lies with no
problems and who always turns out the things way that benefits her.

Nothing can fix XXXXX's exchange year anymore but our responsibility is to do our best
so that no other exchange student would have to go through the same. Hope you can do
something with this....

Yours Sincerely,

XXXXX'S parents, from Finland

The Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students (CSFES) brings to your attention that this is not an isolated incident.

Here are photos taken by a former exchange student also allegedly supervised by Ms. Rose Hawkins:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: International Student Exchange (ISE) student XXXX XXXX of
GERMANY facing repatriation from Minnesota
From: dgrijalva@csfes.org
Date: Mon, November 09, 2009 1:33 am
To: "Jim Gelbmann" <Jim.Gelbmann@state.mn.us>, "Ashely Stover"
<Ashely_Stover@casey.senate.gov>, r.jaeger@treff-sprachreisen.de,
"Stanley Colvin" <Colvinss@state.gov>, "Lawrence Sally"
<Lawrencesj@state.gov>, "Elizabeth Dickerson" <DickersonEB@state.gov>,
Crowleypj@state.gov, "Christopher Hileman" <HilemanCC@state.gov>,
"Maura Pally" <PallyMM@state.gov>, "Maha Ammar" <AmmarMG@state.gov>,
"Susan Geary" <GearySA@state.gov>, "Karen Hawkins" <hawkinsks@state.gov>
Cc: Besafe@csfes.org, "atlanta@germanconsulate.org, boston@germanconsulate.org,
chicago@germanconsulate.org

Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbmann
180 State Office Building
Saint Paul, Minnesota   55155

United States Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.

United States Department of State
  Mr. Stanley Colvin
Mr. P.J. Crowley
Special Agent Christopher Hileman
Ms. Maura Pally
Ms. Maha Ammar
Ms. Sally Lawrence
Ms. Susan Geary
Ms. Karen Hawkins

Honorary Consulate General of Germany

TREFF Germany
Mr. Rainer Jaeger

Re: International Student Exchange (ISE) participant XXXXXXXX

Date of Birth:  01-16-93

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Email below from the natural father of xxxx xxxxxx deserves your immediate attention.

Please let me know of any questions you may have.

Respectfully,

Danielle Grijalva, Director
Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students
P.O. Box 6496 / Oceanside, CA 92052
www.csfes.org / 866-471-9203

Laws can embody standards; governments can enforce laws--but the final task is not a task for government. It is a task for each and every one of us. Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted--when we tolerate what we know to be wrong--when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy, or too frightened--when we fail to speak up and speak out--we strike a blow against freedom and decency and justice.
-- Robert Francis Kennedy

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: XXXXX
From: "" <xxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sun, November 08, 2009 7:15 pm
To: 'Rainer_Jäger' <r.jaeger@treff-sprachreisen.de>
Cc: <pwilwert@msn.com>, <dgrijalva@csfes.org>

Sehr geehrter Herr Jäger,
Wie bereits in meinen vorangegangenen e-mails beschrieben, speziell in meinem letzten ist die Ablehnung eine Familienwechsels für mich inakzeptabel.
Jule fühlt sich in der Gegend sehr einsam, da sie keinen Kontakt zu gleichaltrigen aufbauen kann, da die Schule in der sie auch Sport treibt ca. 18 Meilen entfernt ist und keiner ihrer Sportkameraden in der Nähe wohnt. Mehrere Versuch ihrerseits Kontakte aufzunehmen und zu pflegen sind fehlgeschlagen.
Ich möchte hier auch nochmal darauf hinweisen, dass der Familienwechsel von beiden Familien akzeptiert wurde und auch die Schule in Iowa Falls xxxx aufnimmt. Dew weitern habe ich als leiblicher Vater das Recht einen Familienwechsel zu fordern, wenn ich der Meinung bin das es für meine Tochter besser ist.
Nachdem ISE darauf aufmerksam wurde das xxxx die Familie wechseln möchte wurde ihr mehrfach von Mrs. Hawkins gesagt, bzw. mitteilen lassen, dass sie nicht nach Iowa gehen könnte. Mrs. Hawkins hat xxxx versucht dazu zu drängen zu sagen dass sie eigentlich nur nach Hause möchte.
Da sich die Lage in der Zwischenzeit dramatisch zugespitz hat wende ich mich jetzt mit der Aufforderung an Sie Jule sofort von xxxx xxxx (Adresse unten) abholen zu lassen und in ihr Haus in Iowa Falls zu bringen bis dies Angelegenheit endgültig geklärt ist.
Gleichzeitig veranlassen Sie bitte, dass ein „Host Application Form“ an Familie Wilwert geschickt wird.

Gestern wurde auf Anweisung von Mrs. Rose Hawkins xxxx ihr Laptop weggenommen. Dieser Laptop ist persönliches Eigentum von xxxx. Durch den Entzug ist Jule die Kommunikation mit uns in dieser angespannten Lage sehr erschwert.

In der Zwischenzeit wurde XXXX ihre Kontokarte und ihre Mobiltelefonkarte weggenommen. xxxx teilte uns vorher mit, dass gleich die Polizei kommen würde und zu einer Frau (Mary) bringt. Morgen würde sie dann nach Hause geschickt. Die Frau kam dann auch, jedoch ohne Polizei. Ich habe XXXX zwar noch gesagt dass sie auf keinen Fall mitgehen solle (Man hatte ihr heute Abend ihren Laptop wiedergegeben). Ich habe allerdings keine Ahnung ob sie sie wehren konnte, da zu diesem Zeitpunkt die Verbindung unterbrochen wurde. Die örtlich Polizei ist der Fall übrigens gänzlich unbekannt.

Veranlassen Sie bitte umgehend mir mitzuteilen wo meine Tochter sich befindet und veranlassen Sie das xxxx in die Obhut von Mrs. XXXX XXXX kommt.

Mein Schreiben an Mrs. Hawkins und ihre Antwort, in der sie mir quasi verbietet Kontakt mit ihr aufzunehmen finden Sie anbei.

Ich mache mir mittlerweile große Sorgen um XXXXX Gesundheit.

Photos of residence Ms. Rose Hawkins placed a former International Student Exchange (ISE) exchange student:

Note: These photos were also sent to the State Department

(Contact CSFES and request photos. To appear on website soon.)