The CSFES (Committee for the Safety of Foreign Exchange Students), a US non-profit with proven track record of successfully protecting the interests of the interests of the Foreign exchange Students in the USA has pointed out a flaw in the system.
Ms. Danielle Grijalva, who founded the CSFES more than 20 years ago and continues to serve as its Director, has recently published a blog post that is must read for the Foreign Exchange Students, their parents/guardians and everyone else interested in the safety of the Foreign Exchange Students in the USA;
CSIET values dues over duty
July 17, 2025
PARENTS & EDUCATORS: Please Read
CSFES has officially filed a complaint with the U.S. State Department and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) regarding the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET).
Why?
Because CSIET is not a neutral regulatory body. It is a trade group, often giving families overseas a false sense of security by certifying exchange programs with troubling histories of student mistreatment.
Families deserve transparency. Schools deserve honesty. Students deserve safety.
Please read and share. Awareness is the first step toward change.
#StudentSafety #ForeignExchangeAwareness #CSFES #ProtectExchangeStudents
June 28, 2025
U.S. Department of State
Mr. Darren Beattie
SA Elisabeth C. Heller – OIG
SA Heller and Mr. Beattie,
As someone who has followed the foreign exchange student industry for years, I feel morally compelled to speak out and warn others about the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET).
For decades, CSIET has presented itself as a watchdog organization, supposedly protecting foreign exchange students in the U.S. Instead, what I’ve seen and documented is a disturbing pattern: CSIET provides a false sense of security by endorsing placement agencies who pay membership fees, not by evaluating them based on merit, transparency, or student safety.
The reality is simple and horrifying: CSIET has repeatedly failed to act in cases where foreign exchange students were harmed, including in documented cases of neglect and sexual abuse.
Their leadership, past and present — including former Executive Director John Hishmeh and current Director Chris Page — have consistently turned a blind eye to allegations and reports of abuse.
The recent case involving Jessica Kramer, who was convicted of sexually abusing a teenage student from Denmark, is just one chilling example.
The agency responsible for that placement — EF Foundation — still proudly sits on CSIET’s Advisory List and remains a designated sponsor with the U.S. Department of State. Why? Because they pay. And CSIET protects its paying members — not the students.
It is unconscionable that children — many thousands of miles away from home — are placed in the homes of convicted felons and even pedophiles, and when abuse occurs, CSIET does nothing. No public acknowledgment. No decertification. No safety overhaul. Just silence.
This is not an isolated failure. Hundreds of such cases have been brought to both CSIET and the U.S. Department of State — and they’ve done nothing. Zero accountability. Zero transparency. Meanwhile, students continue to be put at risk under the guise of cultural exchange.
To the public: do not assume CSIET approval means safety. It simply means the agency has paid for the privilege. There is no legitimate enforcement of standards. CSIET has proven itself to be a trade group that values dues over duty.
It is long past time for a full federal investigation, for survivors to be heard and believed, and for these agencies and the organizations that protect them to face real consequences.
Respectfully,
Danielle Grijalva, Director
Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students
[Originally published at https://csfes.org/blog-entry-%232/f/21-csiet-values-dues-over-duty]