(Phoenix, Ariz. – November 4, 2004) Attorney General Terry Goddard announced today that his office secured a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against Daniel Gossai, the owner of California Alternative High School, which claims to provide “a high school diploma” to participants in a 10-week program.
Gossai allegedly targets primarily non-English speakers with little formal education. He allegedly charged participants for a 10-week course with class materials comprised of a 54 page workbook with many typographical and factual errors throughout the manual.
The Attorney General alleges that class instructors read the questions or statements from the workbook and gave the answers to students. The educational value of the program is negligible, and it does not meet the requirements for an Arizona High School diploma. At the end of the program, Gossai also would rent caps and gowns to the participants and stage a graduation ceremony.
“Unfortunately, students who pay tuition and attend classes at California Alternative High School receive ‘degrees’ that are worthless,” Goddard said. “Gossai preyed on their pride and lack of knowledge of Arizona’s educational process. These ‘degrees’ cannot help with jobs or getting into other educational programs.”
Arizona joins California, Nevada, Iowa and Nebraska in moving against Gossai. The TRO issued by the Maricopa County Superior Court requires that Gossai cease all operations in Arizona including operations of a new school called “America Alternative High School,” which Gossai allegedly recently opened.
Any Arizona consumer who believes they have been a victim of California Alternative High School can contact the Attorney General’s Office at www.azag.gov and submit an online “Consumer Complaint.”