College Students Claim that they were Prevented from Leaving and Forced to Work – College Human Trafficking Lawsuit

A lawsuit was filed this year against the university, its founder, its former president, and others. The lawsuit described the university like a “big-brother atmosphere” in which “administrators prevented adults from leaving…and forced them to work, sometimes for free.” The lawsuit is being filed by four students. Students claim that they were forced to work at least 40-hour weeks; their tasks included gardening and manual labor. They claimed that they had one weekly outing per week – to a grocery store – and that even this outing was chaperoned by school employees. In addition, they claimed that they required written permission for any other plans to leave the campus. According to the lawsuit, while living on campus, the plaintiffs were not allowed to come and go from the campus without permission from an Olivet employee; they had to have a signed form with information on where they were going, why they were going, with whom they were going, and for how long they were going.

Reportedly, at least one of the claimants pulled out of the lawsuit due to fear and intimidation. This reflects the conditions that individuals were forced to live in at the Olivet campus. As briefly mentioned above, the students were promised free education under the guise of fully paid scholarships. The university set up their student visas and living arrangements. Upon their arrival, they were put to work to “pay for school.” Most students never got paid for working.

The university draws students from all over the world, although most are from east Asia. Students seek an academic experience rooted in Christianity. Students were promised student visas and scholarships, but they faced a harsh environment instead. Although they had access to education and visas, students were forced to work, unable to leave the campus freely, and generally subject to mistreatment.

Below are some of the allegations from former students:

• A 22-year-old student called emergency services claiming that she had been unable to leave the college campus for months and that she was forced to work without pay. She also claimed that she lived on campus with 300 others and that there was barbed wire surrounding the school. This account is from a 2018 call to authorities.
• A former student claimed that she spent over 50 hours a week creating graphics and selling different products via online storefront.
• A former student claimed that he spent 70 hours a week selling products online in addition to keeping up with schoolwork. He claimed that he only had a few hours to sleep. This resulted in stress that ultimately led to a stroke.
• A former student claimed that she spent most of her time selling products online, but she was not paid in full for her time working. After her family raised concerns about the time she spent working, she researched the legality of the situation and brought her frustrations up to the university. This resulted in retaliation, both students and faculty isolated her; university leaders called her family and reported that she had been brainwashed by what they called outsiders. She felt that they suddenly became aggressive towards her, and she started feeling unsafe.
• A former student claimed that she was never physically trapped like other students, but certain practices made it difficult for her to leave the community. She said that she was subject to an arranged marriage, which she claims was a practice commonly used to reinforce the bond to the community, making it more difficult for members to leave.

The university has been described as a religious cult by some. However, its practices have risen alarms of human trafficking, specifically for forced labor.

Yes – you could have the right to file a lawsuit. If you were subject to human trafficking – including being forced to work without pay. You could also have a right to sue if you were forced to stay in the college and not allowed to leave freely; more specifically, you could potentially have a right to sue for false imprisonment. Without a doubt, pursuing a claim if you were forced to work in the college and unable to leave could be complex. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the legal options available to you, please do not hesitate to reach out to our experts at your earliest convenience.

Yes, you could have the right to recover compensation – both for economic and non-economic damages. Some of the categories of compensation available for recovery could include the following: medical costs, lost earnings, pain and suffering (including mental and emotional harm), punitive damages, and legal fees. For more information about the possible value of your claim and what you could be eligible to receive if your lawsuit is successful, contact us today.

If you are ready to explore the legal options available to you, please do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible. We believe that institutions that target those seeking to better themselves through education and force them to work without pay should be held accountable for their actions. Here at our law firm, we are fully committed to providing victims with the guidance that they need to fight for their rights and get justice. We understand that it could be difficult to come forward and seek legal help, especially after being suppressed and unable to act freely for so long. We urge all affected individuals to seek legal help as soon as possible.

Our team offers free case evaluations, which include free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our experts will be available to answer all your questions, address all your concerns, and provide you with the information that you need to begin or continue your claim. To schedule a free case review, contact us today.

Zero-Fee Guarantee: our law firm offers a Zero-Fee Guarantee, meaning that our clients will never be required to pay any upfront legal costs for any of our legal services. In addition, our law firm works on a contingency basis, so you will not be responsible for paying anything if your claim is not successful. If you do not win, you simply will not have to pay anything.

Contact us today to learn more about how our team can help you pursue a claim and get justice!

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