Newsroom

Protecting District Teachers from Fraud

Many hardworking educators from foreign countries come to the District every year to teach and share their skills, expertise, and cultures with District students. Recently, OAG took action against a local company and its owner for preying upon dozens of foreign teachers working in D.C. schools who were trying to navigate a new culture and a complex visa system.     

Last week, OAG sued Bilingual Teacher Exchange (BTE), related companies, and its owner, Mr. Earl Francisco Lopez, for falsely representing themselves to the teachers as federally designated visa “sponsor” companies and as representatives of D.C. Public Schools (DCPS). We allege Mr. Lopez and his companies misled teachers into paying for visa and sponsorship support services they failed to provide and instead trapped them in a cycle of debt and late fees.

Foreign teachers typically pay about $1,000 to $1,500 per year for visa sponsorship to legitimate visa sponsors, but BTE charged up to $13,000 per year. When teachers struggled to pay fees or missed monthly payments, BTE threatened them with loss of their visas and deportation.

If you are a foreign teacher in the District who worked with Bilingual Teacher Exchange, please call OAG’s Consumer Protection Hotline for help at (202) 442-9828. We are working to get these teachers the relief they deserve and to make sure BTE and Mr. Lopez do not harm anyone else.

Sincerely,

Karl A. Racine
Attorney General

Enforcing our Nation’s First Anticorruption Laws

In the most recent edition of the Harvard Law and Policy Review, AG Racine and Elizabeth Wilkins, Senior Counsel for Policy, co-authored an article about OAG’s emoluments lawsuit against President Trump. The article notes the history and purpose of our nation’s first anticorruption laws in the U.S. Constitution – the Emoluments Clauses – which prohibit the president from accepting money or benefits from foreign or domestic governments. Unlike previous presidents, President Trump has refused to separate himself from his businesses and OAG alleges in its lawsuit that he continues to accept money from foreign and domestic governments through transactions at the Trump International Hotel here in the District. Read the article to learn more about AG Racine’s fight to stop the president from using his office for profit.

April 23: Honor Youth Participating in Essay Contest to Reduce Gun Violence

The massive public turnout for the national and local March for Our Lives rallies, along with several recent local youth forums about gun violence, clearly demonstrate that young people are demanding change and adults need to listen. Join OAG and AG Racine on April 23 at 6:00 p.m. to celebrate local youth participating in the “Do the Write Thing” Challenge, a national essay contest that gives middle-school students an opportunity to examine how violence affects them and propose solutions on how to stop it. Refreshments will be provided. RSVP here.

Opposing Trump Effort to Strip District Residents of Survival Benefits

The sad truth is that there are people who rely on the “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program” for survival, but a newly proposed U.S. Department of Agriculture rule would cut nutrition benefits for District residents and others across the country. Last week, AG Racine led a 21-state coalition in opposing this Trump administration effort that violates federal law, interferes with the District’s ability to do what is best for our residents, and puts lives at risk. OAG will continue to fight attempts to limit access to the country’s most important anti-hunger program. Learn more.

Preventing Child Abuse

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and everyone can play a part in keeping District youth safe. A new OAG blog highlights tips to recognize, prevent, and report child abuse. The blog also reminds residents that District law requires all adults to report suspected child sex abuse, and people who regularly work with children, like teachers or doctors, must always report suspected abuse or neglect of any kind for those under 18. Learn more.

Take Online Child Support Survey

OAG’s Child Support Services Division (CSSD) wants to hear from you! To maintain and further improve our customer service experience for District residents, CSSD has launched an online survey to solicit community feedback. If you are a parent who interacts with CSSD, please take a few moments to fill out this brief survey and tell us how we can serve you better.