Universal Placement International Guilty of Extortion

Recruiting company Universal Placement International (UPI) is being charged with extortion by the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT). The placement firm was hired to recruit more than 200 foreign teachers to work in Louisiana schools. Allegations involve multiple violations of state and federal laws and were brought forward by LFT.

Violations committed by UPI include cheating foreign teachers out of thousands of dollars and holding them in virtual servitude, according to complaints presented to the Louisiana Federation of Teachers by international educators. Attorneys for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and LFT say the union is asking that the teachers’ contracts with the California-based recruiter be voided, and that the recruiter be criminally prosecuted under state law. Lourdes “Lulu” Navarro, a native Filipino and president of the recruiting company, is already a convicted felon.

According to the allegations, not only was each teacher charged approximately $15,000 by Navarro to obtain a job, but required to sign over 10% of the monthly salary for two years. Teachers unable to pay the fees up front were directed to loan companies by Navarro, and charged exorbitant interest rates, in addition to being required to pay for housing provided by Navarro. Teachers were also threatened with deportation if they complained.

Navarro was also paid $47,500 to recruit twenty five teachers by the State Department of Education to recruit teachers for the Recovery School District in New Orleans.

The union is demanding restitution for the teachers, fines and appropriate criminal penalties for principals of UPI, as well as attorneys’ fees, reports LFT.

Posted by RecruitingTrends.com on October 2, 2009. Filed under Legal/Compliance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry