Dulce Maria Nuñez Zaldivar says she never thought she could become a labor trafficking victim to another country. But in 2017, she says she left her job at a highly reputable middle school in Honduras in hopes of advancing her career through one of the U.S. State Department’s exchange programs.
After researching programs and companies that she thought could help her, she was recruited to work at a school in D.C.’s Columbia Heights, where she currently teaches English language arts to sixth graders. In order to make the move to the United States, however, she says she used her and husband’s savings to pay for the cost of visas and moving.
Not long after, she says they quickly fell into debt and struggled to keep up as a result of paying high fees each month to Earl Franciso Lopez, the owner of multiple D.C.-based recruitment firms.
“I remember I opened my bank account on my phone and I had five dollars,” Zaldivar told DCist/WAMU. “In that moment, I felt like ‘Oh my God, what did I do?’ That has been so far one of my worst moments ever.”
Zaldivar is not alone. On Thursday, D.C’s Office of the Attorney General announced the settlement of a lawsuit against Lopez and the multiple companies he operated, saying he lied in order to fraudulently recruit dozens of foreign exchange teachers to work at District schools.
According to the OAG’s office, Lopez was found to have exploited 61 teachers — all of whom were initially recruited to work at D.C. public or charter schools – lying to them about his affiliation with the U.S. State Department, and making false claims about being an official visa sponsor with the ability to fire and deport teachers. He also charged the educators with high fees, while failing to follow through with the services they were promised.
“The Office of the Attorney General is committed to standing up for all District residents and ensuring no one is exploited—including members of our diverse immigrant community,” said D.C. Attorney General Schwalb in a statement.
The OAG’s office says an investigation was opened into Lopez after they received multiple complaints about the high fees and exploitation, and subsequently a lawsuit was filed against him in 2019. The investigation showed that Lopez and his companies misled teachers into signing unfair contracts by telling them they were only allowed to work in D.C. schools if they signed with him and paid monthly visa fees (which were subject to high late fees). In reality, his companies were third-party recruiters and charged teachers much more than legitimate companies. Lopez also charged teachers fees for training and professional development but failed to provide them. In addition to the fees, Lopez also threatened to fire and deport teachers who failed to pay their monthly fees or did not want to renew their contracts.
“In this case, hardworking teachers came to the District as part of a cultural and educational exchange, committing themselves to enriching the lives of thousands of D.C. students while navigating complicated visa requirements,” said Schwalb in a statement. “Instead of providing these educators with the help and support he promised, Mr. Lopez took advantage of them, overcharging them for services and threatening retribution if they complained.”
According to the office of the OAG, Lopez used multiple companies based in D.C., including the Bilingual Teacher Exchange, Ives Hall Consulting, Inc., and Bert Corona Leadership Institute, Inc., to recruit experienced educators, primarily from Colombia and other Latin American countries to the U.S.
Dulce Maria Nuñez Zaldivar still works at the same D.C. school and says she hopes she can put the experience in the past now that the case has been settled.
“I see myself with my family, with my husband and my child, just finally being happy. And finally being able to just live a normal life. Because this has been a very hard burden to carry with us,” says Zaldivar.
Lopez will now be permanently barred from operating any teacher recruitment firms under the terms of the settlement. He will also be required to pay a minimum penalty of $30,000 for five years, which is subject to change based on his reported income. If Lopez violates the terms of the settlement — including missed payments, falsified financial disclosures, or wage theft — he will be required to pay $1,000,000.
All 61 teachers who came to D.C. will also receive restitution payments from Lopez as a result of the fees, threats, and exploitation they were subjected to. In the coming weeks, the OAG says it will be sharing more information for those teachers who are eligible.
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Published Date : 2024-02-22 18:04:00
Source : dcist.com
