College Students Allegedly Prevented from Leaving Campus and Forced to Work without Wages – Human Trafficking Lawsuits

A religion-based college in California is being investigated and facing lawsuits based on allegations that students were confined, subject to surveillance, and forced to work without pay. The university in question is Olivet University, located at 36401 Tripp Flats Road, Anza, CA 92539 against the San Jacinto Mountains. The university is a 900-acre gated campus, which is essentially inaccessible to the public and requires an appointment to visit.

Former students have shared their accounts, all which point to the same unfortunate situation: they were brought into the country and into the college community with the promise of student visas and full scholarships but were forced to work against their will to supposedly pay for their education. According to Jonathan Park, President of the university, all allegations made against the university are false. Additionally, he stated that the government entities that have looked into claims of human trafficking have not “found anything substantiating their veracity.” Although the college president is adamant that the allegations are false, former students have filed a civil lawsuit.

These allegations are very serious. Of course, victims could pursue criminal charges; however, victims could also have the right to file civil lawsuits against the university. If you lived at Olivet University and were forced to work without pay, you could have the right to file a lawsuit and even recover compensation. If you are interested in learning more about the legal options that are available to you, please do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with our expert team.

Here at the Kenmore Law Group is fully committed to fighting for the rights of victims of human traffic and forced unpaid labor and getting them justice. If you are ready to speak with our legal team about the options available for you, contact us today.

About the Current Lawsuit against Olivet University

A lawsuit has been filed against the university, the founder of the university, its former president, and others. The lawsuit describes the university as having a “big brother atmosphere” in which “administrators prevented adults from leaving…and forced them to work, sometimes for free.” The lawsuit has been filed by four former students; they claim that they were forced to work a minimum of 40-hour weeks; they were forced to do gardening and other manual labor. The former students claimed that they had only one weekly outing to a grocery store per week, and even that outing was chaperoned by school employees. They also claim that they had to get written permission for any plans to leave the campus. They claim that they were not allowed to freely come and go from the campus without express permission from a college employee.

At least one of the former students initially involved in the claim has pulled out of the lawsuit due to fear and intimidation. Unfortunately, this was expected. As previously mentioned, students were promised free education under the façade of full scholarships. The college made students’ living arrangements and set up student visas, all which essentially tied the students to the school. Even though they were expected full scholarships, students were put to work to “pay for school.” Most students never got paid for the work performed; those that did get paid were often guilted into giving the money back to the school through donations.

A Review of the Different Allegations against Olivat University

The university draws students from around the world, although most students originate from east Asia. More specifically, the university attracts students that are looking for an academic experience that is rooted in Christianity. Although students were able to student visas and education, they were forced to endure difficult conditions, which included forced labor, constant surveillance, confinement, and, generally, mistreatment.

Some of the different allegations coming from former students include the following:

• One student called emergency services (911) claiming that she was being held against her will at the college campus for months and that she was forced to work without pay. She said that there were about 300 others on the campus and that barbed wire surrounded the school.
• A former student claimed that she would work over 50 hours a week creating graphics and selling different products on online storefronts.
• A former student claimed that he worked 70 hours a week selling products online in addition to keeping up with his schoolwork, resulting in getting only a few hours of sleep. He was dealing with significant stress which contributed to a stroke.
• A former student that she spent most of her working on selling different products online, although she was not paid in full. Her family raised concerns about the time she spend working, so she researched her situation and brought up her concerns/frustrations to the university. Staff retaliated against her, isolated her, and even called her family to say that she had been brainwashed by outsiders. She claimed that the university became aggressive towards her resulted in her feeling unsafe.
• A former student claimed that although she was never physically trapped, different practices made it difficult for her to leave the community. She was subjected to an arranged marriage.

Some have described the university as a religious cult. The practices reported by former students, however, have raised concerns of human trafficking, including forced and unpaid labor.

Do I Have the Right to File a Lawsuit?

Yes – you could have the right to file a lawsuit. If you were confined, constantly surveilled, not allowed to leave, and forced to work without pay, you were likely a victim of human trafficking. You could have the right to file a lawsuit. Without a doubt, this could be a complicated case, at it may involve false imprisonment, labor laws, and more. For more information about the legal options available to you and your right to file a lawsuit, contact us today.

What Compensation is Available for Recovery?

Based on the details surrounding your lawsuit, you could be entitled to receive compensation, which could include economic and non-economic damages. Although every claim is different, some of the possible categories of compensation available for recovery can include the following:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages (this may include reimbursement for all unpaid wages)
• Pain and suffering (including mental and emotional distress/harm)
• Punitive damages
• Legal expenses

Here at our law firm, our team is fully committed to getting you and other victims the highest recovery available for your claim. We are not afraid to take on any party or entity to fight for the rights of our clients and secure the best recovery possible. For more information about the possible value of your claim and what you could be eligible to receive, contact us today.

Contact Our Experts at the Kenmore Law Group

If you are ready to speak with our legal team to learn more about the options available to you, contact us today. Our team is ready to file a lawsuit against Olivat University and all other affiliated individuals to fight for the rights of victims. To ensure that we remain as accessible as possible, our law firm offers free legal services. These include free consultations and free second opinions. During these free case reviews, our team will be available to answer all your questions, address all your concerns, and ensure that you have access to all the information that you need to begin or continue your lawsuit against Olivat. To schedule a free case evaluation, contact us today.

Zero-Fee Guarantee: you will not have to worry about paying any legal costs for any of our legal services. In addition, our law firm works on a contingency structure, so our clients will not be responsible for paying legal costs if their lawsuits are not successful; if you do not win, you simply will not pay anything.

Contact us today to learn more about filing a lawsuit against Olivat University.