BAJA, Mexico, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The closure by Mexican federal
authorities of a school for troubled American teenagers in Ensenada, Mex., was
an act that "violated virtually every principal of the rule of law" and was
"supremely irresponsible" according to Ken Kay, president of the trade
association to which the school belongs.
Since Saturday, Kay has been immersed in the aftermath of the closure of
Casa-by-the-Sea in which more than 500 students from the United States and
elsewhere were ordered out of the country by Mexican government officials
within 72 hours.
"The irresponsible action of the Mexican authorities put American children
at huge risk," says Kay, who heads the World Wide Association of Specialty
Programs and Schools.
"The Mexican government violated virtually every tenet of the rule of law
in taking this action. No substantiated reason, no notice, no warning was
given to our staff that this was going to happen."
Kay says that he has spoken with parents of students at the school who had
flown from as far away as the UK and U.S. East Coast to pick up their
children. "These parents were frayed to say the least. How do we explain
such actions? As Americans, we just cannot."
Kay has also learned that the decision to close down Casa-by-the-Sea and
two other schools in the Baja peninsula was taken by high level federal
officials in Mexico City. "This smells of politics and in Mexico, politics
has a very sour stench."
As for the accusations by authorities that "four students had signs of
physical or emotional abuse," Kay says that such subjective speculation is no
reason to deport more than 500 teenagers. "It's clear to me that this was
taken out of thin air," says Kay.
For further information, please contact James Wall of Freeman Wall Aiello
Public Relations, +1-303-232-3870, or +1-303-548-7014, for World Wide
Association of Specialty Programs and Schools.
