Portland Beauty School

State regulators continue to investigate allegations that Portland Beauty School falsified student records, sold hours to students who never attended the school and misused federal retraining money.

Health licensing officials, flanked by police officers, seized boxes of records from the school last week. State employment, education and justice officials also are involved.

It's the second beauty school targeted by Oregon Health Licensing Agency in less than a year. The agency licenses hairstylists, barbers and nail technicians to work in the state.

It also comes a month after the state temporarily halted exams for cosmetologists and nail technicians after concluding its integrity had been breached.

Richard Vial, an attorney for the school, denied the allegations and said school owners Mary Huynh and her children, Mytien and Tieno, have no idea why the raid occurred.

"We're just baffled," Vial said "They still have not given an indication of what they're charging."

An affidavit filed last week in Multnomah County by agency regulatory operations manager Tim Molloy sheds some light.

According to Molloy, the agency received information from "a reliable and credible source" alleging the school falsified student records, transcripts, social security numbers and state testing materials.

The informant alleged the school sold educational hours to students from other states who have not attended the school but who get correct answers to state and national cosmetology exams.

"Basically, people weren't going to school," said Kraig Bohot, the agency's spokesperson. "They were buying exam answers."

The students then work in other states that accept Oregon licenses, Molloy's affidavit said.

Oregon Department of Justice spokesman Tony Green, whose agency heads the investigation, declined comment.

The Oregon Employment Department oversees federal money to retrain trade-impacted workers. It's awaiting results of the licensing investigation before deciding whether to look into the school's use of worker retraining money and unemployment insurance, department spokesman Tom Fuller said.

Portland Beauty School has been a popular retraining destination for laid-off factory workers. From 2000 to 2003, it received more than $1.5 million in federal NAFTA-Transitional Adjustment Assistance to retrain laid-off factory workers -- more than any private or community college in the state, an investigation by The Oregonian found.

More recently, in December 2008, the licensing agency sought a warrant to search Anthony's Beauty School, according to Multnomah County Circuit Court records. Anthony's competed with Portland Beauty School, which has since closed, Vial said.

In August, days after taking the job, agency director Randall Everitt sent an "urgent" notice to beauty schools to tell them he was temporarily halting exams for cosmetologists and nail technologists after an outside review found "the integrity of the examination has been compromised." The state later resumed the exams after switching from computer-based testing to written exams, according to the notice.

Vial said the Oregon Department of Education, which oversees private trade schools, paid a visit to the school earlier this year after receiving allegations of test fraud but left satisfied.

He said Vietnamese students taking the state cosmetology exam have been singled out and searched by state officials ever since the agency took action against Anthony's. He accused the agency of targeting the school and students based on race.

"We're being scrutinized basically because of the nationality of the owners," Vial said.

Brent Hunsberger

Davids Bridal Alterations

I should have known to go elsewhere to get my wedding dress. I read the bad reviews, and chose to go anyways. My experience was bad. I felt like a number and the only time they seemed to care about me was the uncalled for numerous phone calls to "make sure I had everything I needed (brides maid dresses, mother of the bride)". I was impressed by the price of the dress, but if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. My horrible alterations cost double what they dress cost and the alteration person unfortunately could not speak much english. As I cried in my dress in my final fitting-she claimed I has lost an inch in the 2 weeks since I had seen her (holding the tape measure extremely taunt)-"see, she said, you lose weight". I know how much I weigh and you would think that this would be an amazing thing for a bride to hear, but not when you are wearing a huge bag for your bridal dress. I was crying and she helped 4 other customers during our appointment time, leaving me standing in front of the mirror crying to the point I just wanted to take it off and leave. I did not want her to touch my dress ever again. The manager tried to help, but she was unable to do much. And after receiving sooooo many calls from them during the process (to buy more items from them), did they call me to see if they could help the situation?-no. DO NOT GO HERE, you will be a number and harassed on the phone. Every employee needs a lesson in customer service and how to conduct a business. Shame on you davids bridal clackamas

Bridal Exclusives

Don't go to davids bridal-Don't go to davids bridal-Don't go to davids bridal-Don't go to davids bridal-Don't go to davids bridal-Don't go to davids bridal-Don't go to davids bridal-Don't go to davids bridal-Don't go to davids bridal-Don't go to davids bridal-Don't go to davids bridal-Don't go to davids bridal-