P.G. schools fined millions for charging foreign teachers fees

Prince George’s County Public Schools must pay $6 million in fines and back wages for illegally reducing the wages of more than 1,000 foreign teachers, federal officials said Monday. School officials forced teachers in the H-1B temporary foreign visa program to pay $4.22 million in fees that the school system was legally bound to pay for using the program. As a result of paying the fees, foreign teachers’ salaries were reduced below those of U.S. workers, which is forbidden to keep employers from misuing visa programs.

Federal officials made that clear with a $1.74 million fine to the cash-strapped school system.