FORMER INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADVISOR CLAIMS SHE WAS FIRED FOR QUESTIONING SCHOOL IMMIGRATION RECORDS Jennifer Ewald, the former director of international students at Utah State University, has filed a lawsuit against the school claiming she was wrongfully terminated after she publicly questioned the way it kept records on foreign students. She says that shortly after she began work, she noticed that the school’s records were not being kept properly, and that many records were incomplete, outdated, or actually fraudulent.
The suit also claims that the university employed at least one student without proper authorization, and often allowed students to enroll without proper visas. At least once, according to the complaint, the school got a student visa for someone who was not longer at the school.
According to Ewald, the school seemed to have a reputation for skirting immigration law in the community. She says that on numerous occasions she was offered gifts and money for assistance in obtaining fraudulent visas, and that there was an expectation that the school would help in this way. She also alleges that others in the foreign student office continued to provide illegal assistance even after she instructed them not to. She says that after she reported the situation to the school’s attorney, she was fired.
The lawsuit seeks reinstatement as well as back pay and the costs of the litigation. The school says it does not expect to settle, and that the matter will most likely go to trial. < Back | Next > Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk. | 
