World’s Finest Chocolate (WFC)’s signature one-dollar chocolate bars have become a staple fundraiser item at Oxford over the years. After legal disputes with several schools in the district, however, the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD) has barred organizations from selling WFC goods.
Oxford entered conflict with the company over transactions from last year, according to Principal Houston.
“We paid them; they said they did not get it,” said Houston. “So we issued another check, then they still said we hadn’t paid them.”
WFC then initiated legal proceedings, turning Oxford over to a debt collections agency.
“Instead of doing it between me and them, they went straight to getting attorneys and sending me documents,” said Houston.
Upon investigation, ASB Technician Xavier Barnett found that WFC had cashed out both the check that Oxford initially sent and voided, and the follow-up check sent afterwards.
“When I called WFC, their financial department stated that their mail was backed up, and that could be the reason why they haven’t received the payment. But when I told them, ‘no, in my banking system I can see that you guys cashed the check already,’ they have since ghosted us,” he said.
World’s Finest Chocolate profits fund a range of student activities for which funding must now be secured by other means, the duration of the suspension indefinite.
Barnett says WFC has been working with Oxford since the school’s conception.
“It was so disheartening that we’ve done business with them for so long…and I’m getting letters being taken to collections. It cost a lot of time for me to have to go and look through something from last year,” said Houston. “What upset me was that they didn’t have to show proof that we didn’t pay to start this whole legal process, but then I had to show the proof to get them to stop.”
Other AUHSD schools also reported issues with WFC, prompting the district-wide halt.
“We’re not the only school that experienced that same financial mishap. It was discussed by all the ASB technicians; we all started sharing our experience with WFC,” said Barnett. “They’ve done a lot of great work for a lot of years, but I also believe that because they’ve been around for so long, they’ve established a bit of comfortability in the way they handle the finances of schools.”
WFC profits fund a range of student activities — including dances like Homecoming and Prom, leadership trainings, and talent shows — for which funding must now be secured by other means, the duration of the suspension indefinite.
Accordingly, ASB Senate is piloting an alternative chocolate fundraising option.
“We still wanted a fundraiser that sold easily and was simple for members to carry around,” said ASB Senate President Jolie Diep. “We came across this brand called 1 Dollar Chocolate. It’s the same concept [as WFC] with the same flavors, so we’re looking to establish it as a solid replacement for WFC.”
Barnett notes that while future collaboration with WFC isn’t ruled out, Oxford expects a solution.
“One, [they’ve] abused the trust that we had in [them], and two, [they] need to rectify the situation for us to move forward with wanting to do business with [them] again,” he said.
