2012 Aug 18: Host-father frequently drunk

Program: Study Abroad
Location: China
Posted: August 18, 2012

My daughter went to China for a year with AFS in high school. As an overall experience, it was incredible and changed her life for the better. She was adopted from China, and always felt “different”, and after this year she was a changed child from knowing that she was accepted, recognized as beautiful, and “fit in.” She loved her Chinese high school experience, and loved the general experience of being in China. She was changed for the better as a person. And our local city AFS chapter is wonderful.

AFS China, on the other hand, and the support she received from AFS USA while over there, were a different story. Her host family had a frequently drunk father who hit his daughter, greatly upsetting my daughter. She did not want to leave the family because she felt very close to her host sister. There was quite a bit of heavy drinking and sex from the European AFS-ers, and minimal supervision from AFS China. Whoever was supposed to be supporting them over there was not supportive, and when I called the US person, he would take sometimes weeks to answer my calls and was unresponsive. (I was later told he was sick, but needless to say they needed a replacement.) So that part of it was not at all well done.

AFS is an old and extremely well established organization, and it is difficult to do a great job in so many countries working only with volunteers. On the other hand, at the least they could have good and responsive US staff.

So a mixed story.

2013 May 30: Probation for VHS coach in deal

Pleaded guilty to lewdness in incident with exchange student

From APP.com:
May 30, 2013

Written by Deborah M. Marko

VINELAND — As part of a plea agreement, a former volunteer Vineland High School assistant girls’ basketball coach pleaded guilty Wednesday to a lewdness offense admitting he exposed himself to a male foreign exchange student at his home.

John T. Kinka is now required to meet with a psychologist for an evaluation and is prohibited from any role in which he volunteers, mentors or coaches anyone under the age of 18 during a one-year probation, according the plea deal reached with the Vineland Municipal Court.

The charge stems from a Jan. 26 incident in which Kinka, who was a volunteer with the ASSE International foreign exchange program, had two visiting students stay at his Vineland home for a weekend.

The teens, assigned to a host family in Delaware, were Kinka’s overnight guests so they could attend a representative training conference in Atlantic County to give testimonials about their foreign exchange experience.

While at his home, the teens charged that Kinka exposed his genitals to one of them, requested to see him naked and unsuccessfully tried to pull down his pants, according to police reports filed about the incident.

After the students fled the home, they were spotted by a police officer about 4 a.m. who took them to the police station where they were picked up by their host family. The host family contacted ASSE officials about the incident, which was not initially reported to the police. ASSE, noting students were initially concerned they would be removed from the exchange program, notified the police about what the teens told them transpired in Kinka’s residence, according to ASSE officials contacted after Kinka’s arrest.

Last year, ASSE officials noted Kinka, a volunteer since the 2007-08 school year, was an organization representative serving as a contact for more than two-dozen students. He had a “exemplary record“ and passed three annual criminal background checks, according the organization’s records.

The Vineland school board removed Kinka as a volunteer coach after his arrest.

Initially, Kinka had entered a not guilty plea to the two counts of lewdness. Standing beside his attorney, Vincent Pancari, in Vineland Municipal Court Wednesday Kinka agreed to retract that.

Under the plea agreement, Kinka pleaded guilty to one charge of lewdness and a second lewdness charge was dismissed.

He was sentenced to one year probation and required to undergo an evaluation by a psychologist. Pancari noted the psychologist would be provided with the police reports and statements of the foreign exchange students.

The psychologist will be asked to determine if Kinka is a danger to himself or others as well as if he is in need of treatment Pancari said. If treatment is deemed necessary, Kinka agreed to complete it.

Kinka was also fined $257 and about $150 in court-related costs.

Municipal Prosecutor Inez Acosta said she spoke to the exchange students, who were present in court, and they told her “that the sentence is appropriate.”

They voiced concern that they didn’t want a similar incident to happen anyone else who might be placed in Kinka’s trust, Acosta said.

Reviewing the plea agreement with Kinka, Pancari asked him if did expose himself to one of the foreign exchange students identified in court by his initials.

“Yes,” Kinka said.

If Kinka should violate the terms of the plea agreement, Pancari explained he would be back to municipal court and could be sentenced on a disorderly person offense that carries the maximum sentence of about a year in jail.

Should Kinka comply with agreement, Pancari noted he could make a motion to vacate the balance of the probation after six months.

Acting Municipal Court Judge Nicholas Lacovara stated that Pancari said his client was “very sorry for this occurrence.”

Lacovara, noting Kinka was a first-time offender, said the sentence was “crafted primarily to make sure this did not happen again.”

Kinka has 20 days to file an appeal. He left court the room and paid his fines. He declined to comment.

An ASSE representative was in the courtroom. She referred inquiries to regional coordinator Sue Nelson, who could not be reached Wednesday evening.

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2013 Jan 31: Coach charged with lewdness

2013 Jan 31: Coach charged with lewdness

From The Daily Journal.comJan. 31, 2013 

Written by Deborah M. Marko

John Kinka gave alcohol to two underage foreign exchange students and exposed himself, police allege.

VINELAND — A volunteer Vineland High School assistant girls’ basketball coach was arrested Tuesday on charges of lewdness and providing alcohol to two underage foreign exchange students.

John Kinka, 49, of the 2100 block of East Chestnut Avenue met the 17-year-old male students through his role as a volunteer with the ASSE International foreign exchange program.

Police were alerted Monday and launched an investigation that determined Kinka exposed himself to one of the teens and gave them vodka.

Two students, one from France and the other from Czech Republic, are participating in the ASSE program and placed with a host family in Delaware, according to Bill Gustafson, an ASSE spokesman.

Kinka has been a volunteer with international organization since the 2007-08 school year working as an area representative, Gustafson said. He has helped to recruit host families and held orientations, and was the contact for participating students, checking in with them on a regular basis.

During that time, Kinka has served as an organization representative to 29 students. ASSE reports he had an “exemplary record” and passed three annual criminal background checks.

The alleged incident unfolded when the host family dropped off the two teens at Kinka’s residence Friday because they were planning to attend a representative training conference in Absecon.

The teens were to stay at Kinka’s place for the weekend, then be brought back to Delaware on Sunday. The students were scheduled to attend the conference to provide testimonials about their experiences with the foreign exchange program, Gustafson said.

When the teens returned to Kinka’s residence Saturday night, police said, he provided vodka and played drinking games with them.

“After consuming alcohol with the juveniles, Kinka exposed his genitals to one of them and requested to see him naked,” according to a police report. “Kinka then unsuccessfully attempted to pull down the juvenile’s pants.”

The students fled Kinka’s residence and were spotted walking around the area by an off-duty police officer about 4 a.m., police said. The students were taken to police headquarters and their host family was contacted to pick them up.

At that time, police said, the students did not report the lewd behavior because they were concerned they would be removed from the foreign exchange program. However, ASSE was alerted about the allegations and notified police Monday.

Kinka was arrested Tuesday and provided no statement to investigators, police said. He was released on a summons.

After learning of the incident, Kinka was removed as an ASSE volunteer, Gustafson said.

Gustafson said the matter would be reported to the U.S. State Department, which regulates the foreign exchange program. ASSE also will reach out to sending offices to contact previous exchange students who were represented by Kinka, Gustafson said.

The two students have been assigned a new rep, Gustafson said. The program rules prohibit students from consuming alcohol but, in this case, Gustafson said, it appeared there was adult encouragement so the students will not be dismissed from the program.

The Vineland Board of Education has removed Kinka from his volunteer assistant coach position. He could not be reached for comment.

Helpline US Department of State

1-866-283-9090 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) The Department of State activated the helpline to ensure the health and safety of its exchange participants. Students have a right to be treated fairly and to report abuse without retaliation or threat of program cancellation. (Dep of State)

Blind trust in exchange organisations

You would not send your child to a house at the end of your street if you knew nothing about the person living there. Yet on the strength of a glossy brochure, the payment in some cases of vast sums of money, and an assumption that someone else has asked the right questions, we send our children thousands of miles across the world to stay with strangers.

The companies, organisations and individuals that abuse this blind trust cannot be allowed to continue to profit from it and we must all take responsibility for the care and safety of our young people. (Chris Gould)