On January 31, 2005, the Second Circuit Court of the State of Hawaii entered a Permanent Injunction and Final Judgment Against Defendant American University Hawaii, Inc. The judgment has not been appealed and is in full force and effect.

Under the terms of the judgment AUH was required to offer and pay full restitution to its graduates and students.  Although AUH claims to have written its students and graduates offering them restitution, to our knowledge it has not actually paid any restitution.  In addition the judgment imposed a fine of $500,000.  AUH has not paid one dime towards the fine.  Hassan H. Safavi, the proprietor of AUH, has sworn that AUH has no assets or income to satisfiy the judgment and our office deems the judgment uncollectible.

As a result, AUH is prohibited from offering courses leading to degrees, holding itself out as a university, receiving tuition payments, enrolling students or offering degrees.

Rather than shut down as ordered, Safavi, continued operations by creating a new corporation of the same name in the State of Mississippi and continuing to run AUH overseas. 

A motion to have Safavi held in contempt for evading the judgment was heard by the court on January 4, 2006.  The trial to decide whether Safavi will be held personally liable and the amounts therefore also concluded on January 4, 2006. 

On May 17, 2006 the court entered its decision in the form of Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.  That document can be found online at http: www.hawaii.gov/dcca/areas/ocp/udgi/lawsuits/AUH.  The court has ordered Safavi liable, with the corporation, for restitution and imposed a $500,000 penalty against him individually.  Moreover, the court found him in contempt and ordered him incarcerated until such time as he terminates the website using the name AUH, provides the restitution notice to students, and changes the name of the corporation.  Final judgments incorporating the decision have been entered.  The judgments against AUH and Safavi have been deemed uncollectible in the State of Hawaii.  

Prospective students are warned that AUH has no affiliation or connection to the legitimate, accredited University of Hawaii or American University.

You should address future complaints about AUH to the appropriate authorities in either the country in which you enrolled or to the state of Mississippi:

Ms. Menia Dykes
Executive Secretary
Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation
3825 Ridgewood Road
Jackson, MS 39211
www.ihl.state.ms.us

or

Mr. Grant Hedgepeth
Assistant Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
State of Mississippi
P.O. Box 22947
Jackson, MS 39225-2947
www.ago.state.ms.us

The proprietor Hassan H. Safavi is believed to reside in the State of California. The government agency in California dealing with education issues is the

Bureau For Private Postsecondary & Vocational Education
Department Of Consumer Affairs
400 R Street Suite 5000
Sacramento Ca 95814
www.bppve.ca.gov