A state investigation is looking into allegations against the Portland Beauty School, which is accused of allowing students to buy credit hours and cheat on state and federal tests.
State officials said they started their investigation when they received a tip from a credible source who said the fraudulent activity took place at the beauty school between March and August. Some of the school’s students may have graduated illegally, according to Oregon health licensing agents.
Mytien Huynh Kent, who owns the school on Northeast Siskiyou Street, said never expected to be the target of such an investigation.
“We really feel that this is a false accusation,” Huynh Kent said. “All of this is a shock and we have no idea where this is coming from.”
On Tuesday morning, Huynh Kent said, Oregon health licensing agents and Portland police raided the school with a search warrant, removing all of her financial, student and personnel documents.
The beauty school is also accused of selling answers to state and federal accreditation tests.
Veteran hair stylist Ambrosia Carey said earning your license legitimately isn’t simply for the client’s beauty, but also for their health and safety.
“(You need to) be able to recognize diseases and disorders,” Carey said. “Otherwise, you could end up cross-contaminating and spreading disease to other people.”
No licenses have been revoked from the Portland Beauty School so far.
If the investigation reveals fraud, however, criminal charges could be filed.
Huynh Kent insists all of her students follow the state’s standards and laws. She can’t imagine her instructors allowing them to cheat.
“Most of our staff has been with us, some for over than 10 years,” she said.
The beauty school will remain open throughout the investigation. Huynh Kent said any instructor who is found to have helped students cheat will be fired immediately. She said she takes pride in the school because she has invested her life into the family business.
“Building our own school was our dream so this is something we have put our heart into,” Huynh Kent said. “It’s not just a job that we go to. This is our home.”
Mytien Huynh Kent and her entire family are nothing but crooks. I knew her and her family when they were running scams in Seattle. Her parents owed tens of thousands of dollars in taxes to the St. of WA, so they fled to Oregon to set-up shop. She has bragged about getting over on the gov’t for over a decade. It’s good to see the law finally caught up with her and her entire family. Mytien is finally getting what she deserves! The Portland Beauty School is a complete SCAM!!
The Real Hair Truth 