International Student Exchange (ISE) in the News and Complaints to Department of State:

 From: H.L. of Denmark
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2025 7:16 AM
To: dgrijalva csfes.org <dgrijalva@csfes.org>
Subject: High School - gaslighting and PTSD 

To Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students

You have previously shown interest in ISE – International Student Exchange.

My daughter, Lærke XXXXXXX, arrived in the United States on August 22, 2023, as an exchange student with International Student Exchange (ISE), headquartered in New York. According to psychologist Camilla Birkler, my daughter has been subjected to gaslighting and developed symptoms of PTSD as a result of her two-month stay with ISE.

So far, five articles have been published in a Danish newspaper about my daughter's stay. Here are the links to the articles (in Danish):

1. Lærke was threatened and harassed during her exchange – warns against well-known company: “Felt like I was kidnapped”
2. Parents paid 110,000 DKK for school stay – daughter returned home broken: “The worst was hearing her cry”
3. Company defends itself in case involving threats against children during school stay: “We take it very seriously”
4. Family in shock over company’s defense in disturbing case of young girl’s nightmare: “They are breaking the law and lying”
5. Well-known company receives massive criticism in case of broken teenager – and it’s not the first time

Additionally, Maria Lindemann has a daughter who was also on a High School stay in the U.S. with ISE in 2023 and has a similar story to tell.

On October 19, 2023, after severe incidents, I had to ask Danish police to contact ISE—who was holding my daughter in the U.S.—to assist in getting her home. ISE tried to force us to sign the attached form in order to release my daughter to us. As you can see, we never signed the original form, thanks to the intervention of the Danish police.

In short, my daughter was placed in a host family where both the host mother and father had several diagnoses. My daughter, together with a French exchange student, was socially isolated and subjected to manipulation, interrogation, surveillance, psychological abuse, gaslighting, and more during her stay. The high school my daughter attended helped her get away from the host family, but she was forced out of the state because ISE wanted to punish my 16-year-old daughter for asking questions.

ISE used threats of expulsion from the program and imposed total silence both via phone and email. ISE warned/threatened my daughter and the French girl she lived with not to go to the local police or talk to the high school about the situation at home or their experiences with ISE. All of this can be documented through emails and text messages.

The case involving psychological abuse, gaslighting, and PTSD has been reported to the New York Police Department under correspondence number 1-1-621987, but we have yet to receive any response despite following up several times.

I have a Dropbox with documentation, should you be interested in reviewing the material. If it does not interest you personally, I hope you might have colleagues who would be willing to take up this case, as we wish to put an end to the mistreatment we believe ISE is subjecting young people to.

Sincerely
H.L. of Denmark 

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-------- 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

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