Pocono News Section

I-Team: More Horror Stories From Exchange Students

I-Team: More Horror Stories From Exchange Students - Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 5:45PM EST

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY- There are new developments surrounding the Scranton homes that some foreign exchange students have been living in. The I-Team's story has motivated the city and Lackawanna County to action.
The I-Team broke the story Tuesday. It's about questionable living conditions in a home used to house a foreign exchange student. Now, more students are coming forward with their own horror stories.

After seeing our report, the city condemned a house Wednesday and the county’s Children and Youth Services, began an investigation. The questions remains, how many of these foreign students were placed in unsafe conditions, and who is responsible?

The I-Team was there as foreign exchange students and their host families came to Lackawanna County Children and Youth Services.

County agents want to interview the teenagers about their experiences with Edna Burgett. She was the area coordinator for the Aspect Foundation based in California. The company places foreign students in American homes.

It was prompted in part, by our report Tuesday that showed a Burgett owned house on Myrtle Street filled with dog feces.

Our report prompted city building inspectors to condemn the home Wednesday. But this is apparently not the first time there was a problem with Burgett.

Anna Bardoz from Denmark lived with Burgett, at another home, last October.

“Extremely unsuitable for anybody. There were dog feces on the floor constantly. I can barely step on the floor because of dog feces. It was disgusting," said Bardoz.

She says she was told to deal with it. That house was also condemned by the city. "She was with me at the time, aware of the house conditions. She told me to pick it up or said people would come. After three weeks no one ever came," Bardoz told the I-Team.

Officials at the Aspect Foundation told the I-Team they fired Burgett, but Bardoz says they also offered no help. “They didn't help me out. It took me 3 weeks to get out of the house. Nobody helped me out," added Bardoz.

And these teenagers might still be in those homes, had it not been for other host parents and teachers in the Scranton School District, who heard about the filth, and took them into their homes.

The I-Team contacted the Aspect Foundation for comment on this new information, but as of this writing they had not returned our calls.