An Allentown company took tuition money from the families of about two dozen foreign exchange students studying at Lancaster Catholic High School, Lancaster Mennonite High School and Living Word Academy here.

But the company did not forward that money to the schools, a state official is charging. It also did not pay promised fees to the students' host families in Lancaster County, as well as in Berks and Lehigh counties.

The state Attorney General's office Wednesday filed a civil lawsuit against the company, United Student Exchange.

Families of students, who largely are from South Korea, paid at least $350,000 to the company, run by Timothy and Tina Sweet of Allentown, since January 2007, said Nils Frederiksen, attorney general spokesman.

"The issue right now is: Where is that money?" he said. "The majority of schools received no tuition payments."

The company did not fulfill numerous promises it made to families and students, Frederiksen said today.

United Student Exchange did not line up host families ahead of time for some students, and ended up shuffling some around to temporary homes until placement could be found, he said.

The company also did not do background checks on some host families. It did not provide students promised free trips to other parts of the United States during their stay here, he said.

One school official who dealt with the company likened it to a "human puppy mill," Frederiksen said.

"They were bringing innocent young people into the United States and then dumping them and leaving them to look out for themselves," he said.

Overall, the company brought 56 students here this year, placing 54 in Pennsylvania schools, as well one in a school in Kansas and one in Idaho.

The Pennsylvania students were placed in private Christian or Catholic schools in Lancaster, Berks and Lehigh counties.

Here, Lancaster Mennonite and Catholic High had the largest numbers of students, about two dozen in all. Neither school returned a call for comment by deadline today.

Living Word Academy had just one student from the company. The student, a junior, spent only one semester there and left the school on his own accord, a spokeswoman said.

United Student Exchange still owes the school under $500 for his tuition, she said.

Fortunately for the students, many of their host families have tried to help and advocate for the students during their time here, Frederiksen said, even though many of those families did not receive a $2,500 fee they were supposed to receive.

"They have stepped up," Frederiksen said. "They are not pushing the kids out on the street."

Attorney General Tom Corbett is forwarding any criminal allegations against the company to the Lehigh County District Attorney's office.

Corbett's office also is continuing its own investigation into the company, which could face civil penalties.

For now, the company is prohibited from bringing other students here. Frederiksen said that was a necessary step because investigators learned the company planned to bring possibly more than 100 students to the U.S. next year.

"We don't want to see additional students brought into this situation," he said.

The Sweets did not respond to an e-mail for comment.

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