Mar 12 2016 : The Times of India (Chennai)
University `scam' and $40m lawsuit stalks Donald
Michael Barbaro & Steve Eder
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NYT
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Robert Guillo gave a glowing evaluation to his instructor at Trump University because, he said, the teacher pleaded for the best possible score, warning that without it, “Mr Trump might not invite me back to teach again.“Jeffrey Tufenkian offered excellent ratings because his Trump University-assigned mentor refused to leave the room until he did so, standing “right in front of me“ as he filled out the evaluation form, he said. John Brown tried to give his Trump University teacher a poor review -but said he was talked out of it by employees of the programme, who hounded him to raise his original scores. “Tired of the continuing phone calls,“ he later testified, “I finally gave in.“
His dismal marks changed to top scores, Brown said.
In the sprawling business empire of Donald J Trump, the real estate classes that bore his name seem to occupy a tiny , insignificant corner. But the controversy and litigation now enveloping them have taken on surprising potency in the Republican presidential campaign that he is dominating.
Trump University is at the center of a $40 million lawsuit in New York and potentially subject to a separate trial in California in August. Lawsuit was filed in 2013 alleging that the enterprise intentionally misled more than 5,000 people across the country , including more than 600 in New York.
Now, as Trump tries to fend off claims of misleading and fraudulent practices from scores of former students, claims his opponents have bro ught up in debates and in ads, his biggest weapon is what appears to be the overwhelmingly positive reviews from past participants -a 98% level of satisfaction, in his telling.“Beautiful statements,“ is how he describes the reviews.
Interviews and documents show that employees of Trump University at times applied pressure on students to offer favourable reviews, instructed them to fill out the forms in order to obtain their graduation certificates, and ignored standard practices used to ensure that the surveys were filled out objectively .
“It's absolutely a con,“ said Guillo, who spent $36,000 on Trump University classes and later requested a refund.
His dismal marks changed to top scores, Brown said.
In the sprawling business empire of Donald J Trump, the real estate classes that bore his name seem to occupy a tiny , insignificant corner. But the controversy and litigation now enveloping them have taken on surprising potency in the Republican presidential campaign that he is dominating.
Trump University is at the center of a $40 million lawsuit in New York and potentially subject to a separate trial in California in August. Lawsuit was filed in 2013 alleging that the enterprise intentionally misled more than 5,000 people across the country , including more than 600 in New York.
Now, as Trump tries to fend off claims of misleading and fraudulent practices from scores of former students, claims his opponents have bro ught up in debates and in ads, his biggest weapon is what appears to be the overwhelmingly positive reviews from past participants -a 98% level of satisfaction, in his telling.“Beautiful statements,“ is how he describes the reviews.
Interviews and documents show that employees of Trump University at times applied pressure on students to offer favourable reviews, instructed them to fill out the forms in order to obtain their graduation certificates, and ignored standard practices used to ensure that the surveys were filled out objectively .
“It's absolutely a con,“ said Guillo, who spent $36,000 on Trump University classes and later requested a refund.
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