Breaking the financial institution, individuals earlier than they get into the wonder enterprise

MARTINEZ, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Decreasing stress on the job, bettering funds, and spending extra time with household are among the many high new 12 months resolutions for 2023.

All causes employees proceed to depart jobs for brand new alternatives. A profession in skincare is very interesting for nurses burned out from the pandemic, however our I-TEAM discovered college students within the new, rising enterprise are shedding time, cash, and second careers.

The I-TEAM discovered there are solely 5 licensed esthetics faculties in Georgia. 4 opened in the course of the pandemic, together with Bryan Sexton Esthetics Institute in Martinez.

The varsity is the one choice for individuals dwelling round right here outdoors of driving to the subsequent closest faculty in Columbia which is the place some college students did find yourself after attending courses for 9 months right here and forking hundreds of {dollars}.

Andrea Williams was a nurse who wished to modify from seeing sufferers to seeing purchasers, so she turned to esthetics faculty.

Andrea’s story started a 12 months earlier than she met with the I-TEAM in the summertime of 2022.

She enrolled as a scholar at Bryan Sexton Esthetics Institute in 2021.

The varsity is situated contained in the Rosebay Medi Spa on Washington Highway.

Andrea entered a fee plan for the nine-month program. Almost seven-thousand {dollars} in tuition with deposits and costs all for a price ticket of simply over ten thousand {dollars}.

“It truly goes to her husband’s money app to BD Sexton,” She explains.

State information present Dwain Sexton, AKA Bobby Sexton, and Liz Brian, AKA Liz Sexton are the homeowners of the varsity

Andrea says she despatched greater than two thousand {dollars} on to a Zelle account listed as Bobby Sexton and one other two thousand plus to a CashApp account as Dwain and Elizabeth sexton.

Quick ahead to the top of this system: March 21, 2022.

“The following Tuesday after I completed, once I got here in I used to be advised to not clock in as a result of I had not completed my hours,” explains Andrea.

The I-TEAM discovered the Board of Cosmetology requires a thousand-course hour signed off by a licensed teacher earlier than a scholar can qualify to take the state examination to change into a licensed esthetician.

Guidelines and laws of the board additionally require instructors to log out weekly on the hours earned by a scholar.

“She mentioned I owed 81 hours of companies or therapies that wanted to be accomplished earlier than I might proceed on, and I additionally had a stability due for the varsity,” Andrea says.

The contract she signed accommodates this clause:

“The Bryan Sexton Esthetics Institute is not going to launch, to any licensing board or different faculties, any licensed hours or transcripts until monetary and contractual obligations for these hours obtained have been met.”

Andrea filed 4 complaints with Georgia’s Secretary of State Workplace, together with this one the place she writes the proprietor:

“Didn’t present weekly sheets of credit score hours present and signed by the coed and the trainer … nor did she carry out medical competency checkoffs whereas in attendance.”

Andrea alleges negligent or fraudulent enterprise practices in her second criticism to the states, particularly with the road objects she noticed on the bill from the varsity.

“When she despatched me the bill, she had tuition quantity on it for 25 thousand {dollars} and a 15,000 CSRA award that I’m completely not conscious of.”

Bryan Sexton Georgia Institute of Esthetics’ web site lists a number of scholarships.

Alternatives, however we discovered in case you click on on the hyperlinks, you’ll learn the scholarships are just for college students attending accredited faculties.

BSEI is licensed by the state however is just not accredited. That is the one scholarship they’ll apply for.

Andrea says she is just not conscious of making use of for any scholarship.

In her criticism to the state, she writes she by no means utilized for or acquired discover of the award, however someway, she received it. It’s listed proper right here on her bill. It doesn’t lower the price of tuition it’s greater than triple it.

The value of tuition on the bill is $25,900.

The value of tuition on her contract is $6,806.

Owens sat down with Elizabeth Bryan to be taught extra about her program.

Liz Owens: “Had college students say they by no means utilized for any sort of scholarship, but they’re getting a notification that they acquired it. Do you mechanically enroll?”

Bryan: “So long as they’re a resident of the CSRA, the situation then they’re in a position to obtain that.”

Proprietor Liz Bryan advised us donations, and scholar spa companies fund the CSRA scholarship.

Owens: “I assume I’m confused since you have been saying the full value of this system is 12-15 however with the scholarship $25,000.”

Bryan: “Proper.”

Owens: “Is that simply an promoting ploy to be like hey.”

Bryan: “No.”

The bill Andrea offered to the I-TEAM exhibits she paid almost $8,000 in tuition.

“The varsity mentioned I had a stability. I mentioned properly, I don’t deny that I’ve stability,” says Andrea.

However not as a lot as they are saying she owes.

“I made a decision after that, that I’d attend one other faculty. I requested my hours and was handed my hours in my hand, however they have been unofficial copies as a result of they weren’t signed.”

Andrea completed her final 88 hours at one other faculty, and her teacher despatched approval to the state for her to take the state board’s examination.

PSI scheduled her for testing on June 9, 2022. They’re a third-party testing firm contracted with the state of Georgia.

The day earlier than the test- PSI canceled her testing appointment.

Andrea was dumbfounded. “They declare they despatched a letter to clarify why it was canceled, and so they don’t become involved in scholar faculty monetary disputes.”

Andrea filed a fourth criticism writing: My account remains to be disabled. Mrs. Sexton must name in and notify them that my account stability had been glad earlier than unblocking my account. The place within the guidelines of Georgia State Board of Cosmetology does it be aware I could be denied to check as a result of a monetary stability?

“I’ve been licensed for 30 years,” says Andrea. “I’ve by no means had an issue with the board not having the ability to present data.”

Andrea is a licensed LPN which implies she will carry out procedures solely a nurse can do at a Medi Spa.

She can be a licensed assistant laser practitioner.

Sometimes, she tells the I-TEAM Bryan would ask her to do work for rent.

In her third criticism, she says the proprietor:

Operated Rosebay MediSpa enterprise throughout BSEI faculty hours. Mrs. Sexton pulled me out of stage 1 and stage 11 courses to carry out IV hydration and vitamin injections as a nurse.

Two months after leaving the varsity, somebody reported her for doing IVs as a Laser Practitioner—unlawful below a laser license – however authorized below her LPN license.

Andrea refused to signal the general public order. She demanded a listening to to show she is licensed to present IVs and to reveal a damaged system that enables individuals within the magnificence enterprise to retaliate in opposition to others in Georgia.

“I couldn’t do something. I didn’t have a job. I didn’t have cash. I couldn’t. I couldn’t do something,” says Rachel Jackson. She graduated from faculty in March of final 12 months.

“I requested Liz about my hours, and she or he simply stored giving me the runaround… I referred to as the PSA, and I referred to as state board. They haven’t had something despatched in for me.”

Jackson confirmed the ITEAM Bryan despatched her a Venmo request for an extra $2,460 fee after Rachel inquired about taking the state board examination to get her license.

Possibly Liz Bryan didn’t ship her hours to the state – not due to cash owed however perhaps as a result of… of what the ITEAM discovered subsequent. Elizabeth Bryan didn’t even change into a licensed teacher till six months after Rachel graduated.

“I assume she actually couldn’t even log out on them,” provides Rachel.

The previous scholar filed a criticism with the state and posted on social media.

“She’s mad. She’s simply mad that I received all this began.”

The ITEAM obtained an audio recording of the proprietor speaking about her former scholar to a category in 2021.

Liz Bryan’s voice: “Rachel is inflicting rather a lot involvement with the state board…..I don’t know what’s going to occur, however she isn’t going to get licensed within the state if I can try this… There’s a therapeutic massage therapist who participated I’m after her job proper now.”

Krystina Carinno instantly acknowledges these precise occasions.

“That’s me. That’s me. I’m a therapeutic massage therapist. My esthetic teacher and esthetician. And a spa proprietor.”

Rachel started apprenticing below Krystina Carrino after leaving Bryan Sexton Institute of Esthetics.

And a couple of month later, the state flagged Krystina’s therapeutic massage remedy license.

Krystina: “There’s nonetheless an open investigation pending in opposition to me for unprofessional conduct.”

The state advised her Elizabeth Bryan Sexton filed the criticism. Krystina despatched this response again to the Secretary of State’s Workplace:

“I had zero dealings with Elizabeth in regard to something therapeutic massage associated. What I’m searching for out from the board of cosmetology as to why I needed to tackle apprentice, Rachel Jackson, whom Elizabeth took over $10,000 from in her faculty. Why this younger girl has to do an extra 2000 hours to get her esthetics license?”

Almost three years’ value of scholars has gone to the board, courtroom, regulation enforcement, or non-public companies for assist.

Krystina explains, “You simply can’t simply say there’s no solutions. However the board doesn’t take these complaints severely. They actually don’t.”

The State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers advised the I-TEAM they turned the case over to the Lawyer Common’s Workplace and “right now all board members have been cautioned by the AG to not talk about something about this case.”

“I’m attempting to determine what’s going on with the cosmetology and licensing board,” says Andrea. “Are they engaged on completely different premises than different boards? I don’t know. Possibly they’re understaffed. I’m on the level the place overlook this esthetics license. Both method, it’s disheartening.”

A system that enables the ugly aspect of magnificence to interrupt financial institution accounts and other people earlier than they’ll even get into the enterprise.

We reached out to the homeowners a number of instances after first sitting down with Liz Bryan. Neither responded.

Andrea alternatively did hear from Liz Bryan.

Bryan’s legal professional despatched her a settlement settlement which states they’d launch her hours if she would pay a part of the cash again, take away all destructive social media posts, and keep clear from information reporters.

Andrea declined the provide.

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