CALIFORNIA – A group of former students is taking Olivet University in Anza to court, claiming they were victims of human labor trafficking and forced to work without pay after coming from abroad to study at the private Christian university on full scholarships.
Four alumni; Dawin Liranzo Galan, Roland Broccko, Minerva Ruiz, and Rebecca Singh – arrived from Spain, Venezuela, and India in the U.S. with student visas obtained through Olivet to attend school in 2017 and early 2018. However, upon reaching the high desert town, they were informed they must work to pay off their debt, as alleged in the lawsuit.
“They came with hopes to fulfill their dreams. What they experienced was a nightmare,” the lawsuit against Olivet University filed in Riverside County Superior Court in September and amended on February 7, 2024, states.
It details how, despite their different backgrounds and journeys to the United States, they all shared a harrowing experience: becoming victims of human trafficking at the hands of Olivet University and other individuals.
One of the defendants is David Jang, a Korean Christian pastor and professor who founded Olivet University in the Bay Area in 2004 for students destined for ministry. The lawsuit also names the university, president Matthias Gebhardt, and five other individuals, including Jasmine Park, Andrew Lin, Rachel Cheung, Nathanael “Ginturn” Tran, and Stephanie Choi Gebhardt. These individuals were either university employees or part of its Board of Trustees when the plaintiffs attended school.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of troubles the university has faced in recent years, including criminal convictions in New York, an ongoing federal investigation for money laundering, human labor trafficking, and fraud, and allegations of violations of state education regulations last year.
This situation underscores the importance of ensuring that educational institutions respect the rights and dignity of their students, avoiding abusive practices and violations of the law.
