Index: lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/webservice/xml/LessonManagerServlet.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/webservice/xml/LessonManagerServlet.java,v
diff -u -r1.48.2.22 -r1.48.2.23
--- lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/webservice/xml/LessonManagerServlet.java	20 Dec 2016 15:45:56 -0000	1.48.2.22
+++ lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/webservice/xml/LessonManagerServlet.java	30 Dec 2016 13:50:51 -0000	1.48.2.23
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import javax.xml.transform.TransformerConfigurationException;
 import javax.xml.transform.TransformerException;
 
+import org.apache.commons.lang.StringEscapeUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.gradebook.GradebookUserLesson;
@@ -926,9 +927,10 @@
 		    String lastName = null;
 		    String email = null;
 		    if (firstNames != null) {
-			firstName = firstNameArray[i];
-			lastName = lastNameArray[i];
-			email = emailArray[i];
+			//unescape values passed from the external server. Works OK even if the values were not escaped
+			firstName = StringEscapeUtils.unescapeCsv(firstNameArray[i]);
+			lastName = StringEscapeUtils.unescapeCsv(lastNameArray[i]);
+			email = StringEscapeUtils.unescapeCsv(emailArray[i]);
 		    }
 
 		    if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(userName)) {
@@ -943,9 +945,10 @@
 		    String lastName = null;
 		    String email = null;
 		    if (firstNames != null) {
-			firstName = firstNameArray[i];
-			lastName = lastNameArray[i];
-			email = emailArray[i];
+			//unescape values passed from the external server. Works OK even if the values were not escaped
+			firstName = StringEscapeUtils.unescapeCsv(firstNameArray[i]);
+			lastName = StringEscapeUtils.unescapeCsv(lastNameArray[i]);
+			email = StringEscapeUtils.unescapeCsv(emailArray[i]);
 		    }
 
 		    if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(userName)) {