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Tuesday, August 31, 2004
AN ADULT school accused of selling bogus high school diplomas to thousands of immigrants paid churches to help recruit students and house classes, according to interviews with law enforcement, school and church officials.
The commercial California Alternative High School paid some churches in immigrant communities across Southern California an average of $125 per graduate and allowed the churches to keep income from the sale of school materials, according to interviews and court records.
After 30 hours of classes, students were given a diploma that school officials said would give them access to accredited colleges and universities and state and federal financial aid programs, according to court records. But a lawsuit filed this month by the state attorney general accused school operators of "exploiting immigrants' dreams of a better life."
According to court records, the school used untrained teachers who taught that there are 53 states in the union, four branches of government and two houses of Congress one for Republicans and one for Democrats.
The attorney general's suit seeks restitution for students and $32 million in penalties, charging that the program lied to students when it told them it was recognized by the state and federal governments. So far, no church officials have been implicated in the alleged fraud, though two former employees of World Mission Maranatha Evangelistic Center were named in the civil suit.
Some parishioners said they were disturbed by the financial link between the church leaders they trusted and the school they believed deceived them.
In an interview, the school's director, Daniel Gossai, denied that his school misled students but said that "every pastor, every church organization where we have classes was being given certain amounts of money."
Of the average $600 per student charged for the 10-week course, church leaders were given a $75 to $175 donation, Gossai said. In addition, some churches kept the money they charged for caps and gowns, photos and school supplies.
Authorities are continuing their investigation of California Alternative High School, which claims 78 locations nationwide and might have taught tens of thousands of students.
The idea was hatched in 1980, when the immigrant from Guyana and former pastor said he saw a need for education in the Latino community.
The idea for the schools lay dormant for 15 years, Gossai said, while he earned a master's degree in business administration and two doctorates.
In court records, authorities have questioned the authenticity of the two doctoral degrees.
One institution, an unaccredited university in Los Angeles, denied that Gossai had attended, and the other, a university in Aruba in the Caribbean, "may be of questionable validity," the attorney general wrote in court papers.
In 2000, Gossai launched a handful of schools in Los Angeles and named himself principal. The school's website and materials offer students an "Adult High School Diploma."
Nevertheless, his students say they were sold binders that said "High School Diploma" in bold letters across the front.
"He thinks he's found the perfect loophole," said Reyes, of the county Department of Consumer Affairs. "But there's a law that says you can't misrepresent what you sell." (Los Angeles Times)
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