I'm not very knowledgeable concerning VISA issues but I look around occasionally to try to find what I can. From the government website concerning J1 visas http://j1visa.state.gov/participants...nd-extensions/, I culled this:

Waivers

Program participants who are subject to the two-year home-country physical presence requirement, as established by Section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, must apply for a waiver of that requirement if they seek to remain in the United States beyond the end date of their programs or if they seek to submit an application to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for a change in visa status. A waiver may be requested for five statutory bases:

  1. a claim of Exceptional Hardship to a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident spouse or child of an exchange visitor if the exchange visitor is required to return to the country of residence;
  2. a claim that the participant will be persecuted due to race, religion, or political opinions if he/she returns to the country of residence;
  3. a request from an interested U.S. Government Agency on the participant's behalf;
  4. a No Objection Statement from your government; and
  5. a request by a designated State Health Department or its equivalent.

Participants must file an application to receive a recommendation for a waiver with the Department of State. Please refer to the regulations for details. [22 CFR 41.63]
Information about waivers may also be obtained from the Department of State's Visa Office. The public inquiry line for waivers is (202) 663-1225.
Also, visit the Exchange Visitor Skills List to determine if you are subject to the two-year foreign residence (home-country physical presence) requirement, which requires you to return to your home country for two years at the end of your exchange visitor program.
as to complaining about the J1, it is the obligation of the visitor to understand the implications of the category if Visa applied for. It is not incumbent on the the sponsor to ensure the Visa applied for is proper for the visitor's needs. Especially since the visitor had a personal contact here in the US (you), I would think you would have researched the conditions of the J1 prior to being applied for.