Title: College Admissions Scandal: Actresses, Business Leaders and Other Wealthy Parents Charged Source:
New York Times URL Source:https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/12/ ... missions-cheating-scandal.html Published:Mar 13, 2019 Author:Jennifer Medina, Katie Benner & Kate Tay Post Date:2019-03-13 16:05:28 by Hondo68 Keywords:Fake Degrees, Fake Students, Fake Education Views:6878 Comments:50
Fifty people in six states were accused by the Justice Department on Tuesday of taking part in a major college admission scandal. They include Hollywood actresses, business leaders and elite college coaches.Credit
A teenage girl who did not play soccer magically became a star soccer recruit at Yale. Cost to her parents: $1.2 million.
A high school boy eager to enroll at the University of Southern California was falsely deemed to have a learning disability so he could take his standardized test with a complicit proctor who would make sure he got the right score. Cost to his parents: at least $50,000.
A student with no experience rowing won a spot on the U.S.C. crew team after a photograph of another person in a boat was submitted as evidence of her prowess. Her parents wired $200,000 into a special account.
In a major college admissions scandal that laid bare the elaborate lengths some wealthy parents will go to get their children into competitive American universities, federal prosecutors charged 50 people on Tuesday in a brazen scheme to buy spots in the freshman classes at Yale, Stanford and other big-name schools.
Thirty-three well-heeled parents were charged in the case, including Hollywood celebrities and prominent business leaders, and prosecutors said there could be additional indictments to come.
Also implicated were top college athletic coaches, who were accused of accepting millions of dollars to help admit undeserving students to a wide variety of colleges, from the University of Texas at Austin to Wake Forest and Georgetown, by suggesting they were top athletes.
The parents included the television star Lori Loughlin and her husband, the fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli; the actress Felicity Huffman; and William E. McGlashan Jr., a partner at the private equity firm TPG, officials said.
The scheme unveiled Tuesday was stunning in its breadth and audacity. It was the Justice Departments largest-ever college admissions prosecution, a sprawling investigation that involved 200 agents nationwide and resulted in charges against 50 people in six states.
Read the Racketeering Indictment
Federal authorities say dozens of individuals were involved in a nationwide bribery and fraud scheme to help students gain admission to elite colleges and universities. Racketeering charges against 12 of the defendants are detailed in this indictment, one of a number of charging documents in the case.
23 pages, 1.06 MB
The charges also underscored how college admissions have become so cutthroat and competitive that some have sought to break the rules. The authorities say the parents of some of the nations wealthiest and most privileged students sought to buy spots for their children at top universities, not only cheating the system, but potentially cheating other hard-working students out of a chance at a college education.
In many of the cases, prosecutors said, the students were not aware that their parents were doctoring their test scores and lying to get them into school. Federal prosecutors did not charge any students or universities with wrongdoing.
The parents are the prime movers of this fraud, Andrew E. Lelling, the United States attorney for the District of Massachusetts, said Tuesday during a news conference. Mr. Lelling said that those parents used their wealth to create a separate and unfair admissions process for their children.
The real victims in this case are the hardworking students who were displaced in the admissions process by far less qualified students and their families who simply bought their way in, Mr. Lelling said.
At the center of the sweeping financial crime and fraud case was William Singer, the founder of a college preparatory business called the Edge College & Career Network, also known as The Key.
The authorities said Mr. Singer used The Key and its nonprofit arm, Key Worldwide Foundation, which is based in Newport Beach, Calif., to help students cheat on their standardized tests, and to pay bribes to the coaches who could get them into college with fake athletic credentials.
Mr. Singer used The Key as a front, allowing parents to funnel money into an account without having to pay any federal taxes.
An excerpt from a criminal complaint showing an image that was manipulated for a college admission entry.
Parents paid Mr. Singer about $25 million from 2011 until February 2019 to bribe coaches and university administrators to designate their children as recruited athletes, which effectively ensured their admission, according to the indictment.
Mr. Singer appeared in federal court in Boston on Tuesday afternoon and pleaded guilty to counts of racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice.
Sitting very still and wearing a dark suit, he described how he arranged for students SAT and ACT results to be falsified by sending them to take the exams in Houston or Los Angeles, where he had bribed test administrators. He described the students as believing they were taking the tests legitimately, but said that his test proctor would correct their answers afterward. Mr. Singer said he would tell the proctor the score he wanted the student to get, and he would achieve that score exactly.
In his testimony, he referred to his bribery and money laundering schemes as a side door method of admission.
If I can make the comparison, there is a front door of getting in where a student just does it on their own, and then theres a back door where people go to institutional advancement and make large donations, but theyre not guaranteed in, Mr. Singer said. And then I created a side door that guaranteed families to get in. So that was what made it very attractive to so many families, is I created a guarantee.
One of the prosecutors, Eric S. Rosen, said that Mr. Singer had in some cases falsified students ethnicities and other biographical details to take advantage of affirmative action.
Mr. Singer also described how, after he became a cooperating witness and was told by the prosecutors and the F.B.I. that he could not talk to anyone about the case, he tipped off several families that he was wired and warned them not to incriminate themselves in conversations with him.
The judge set sentencing for June 19, and Mr. Singer was released on a $500,000 bond.
William Singer appeared at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston on Tuesday.
CreditKatherine Taylor for The New York Times
Most elite universities recruit student athletes and use different criteria to admit them, often with lower grades and standardized test scores than other students.
Mr. Singer helped parents go to great lengths to falsely present their children as the sort of top-flight athletes that coaches would want to recruit.
Mr. Singer fabricated athletic profiles of students to submit with their applications, which contained teams the students had not played on and honors they had not won. Some parents supplied staged photographs of their children engaged in athletic activity, according to the authorities; Mr. Singers associates also photoshopped the faces of the applicants onto images of athletes found on the internet.
This is an extreme, unsubtle and illegal example of the increasingly common practice of using money to get an edge in the race for a place in an elite university, said Christopher Hunt, who runs College Essay Mentor, a consulting service for applicants.
In one example detailed in an indictment, the parents of a student applying to Yale paid Mr. Singer $1.2 million to help her get admitted. The student, who did not play soccer, was described as the co-captain of a prominent club soccer team in Southern California in order to be recruited for the Yale womens soccer team. The head coach of the Yale team, Rudolph Meredith, was bribed at least $400,000 to recruit the student.
After the profile was created, Mr. Singer sent the fake profile to Mr. Meredith, who then designated her as a recruit, even though he knew the student did not play competitive soccer, according to the complaint.
In its investigation, known internally as Operation Varsity Blues, the government focused on the 33 indicted parents. Those parents were willing to pay between $15,000 and $75,000 per test, which went to college entrance exam administrators who helped their children cheat on them by giving them answers, correcting their work or even letting third parties falsely pose as their children and take the tests in their stead, according to the indictment.
Mr. Singer instructed at least one parent, Mr. McGlashan, to claim that his son had learning disabilities in order to gain extended time for him to take his college entrance exam alone, over two days instead of one, according to court documents.
Image
Dozens of people were charged in what the authorities said was a scheme to get students admitted to top schools, including the University of Southern California.CreditRozette Rago for The New York Times
The government said that Mr. McGlashans son was told to take the exam at one of two test centers where Mr. Singer worked with test administrators who had been bribed to allow students to cheat. And Mr. Singer told Mr. McGlashan to fabricate a reason, such as a wedding, for why their children would need to take the test in one of those locations.
Mr. McGlashans son was unaware of the scheme, according to court documents.
Mr. McGlashan did not respond to an email seeking comment. TPG said that it had placed Mr. McGlashan on indefinite administrative leave effective immediately as a result of the charges.
When Mr. Singer explained the scheme last June to Gordon R. Caplan, co-chairman of the global law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Mr. Caplan laughed and said, And it works? according to a transcript of a recorded phone conversation between the two men captured in a court-authorized wiretap.
Mr. Singer told Mr. Caplan that his daughter would not know that her standardized test scores had been faked.
Nobody knows what happens, Mr. Singer said, according to the transcript of the call. She feels great about herself. She got a test score, and now youre actually capable for help getting into a school. Because the test scores no longer an issue. Does that make sense?
That does, Mr. Caplan said. According to prosecutors, Mr. Caplan paid $75,000 for the service.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Caplan and Willkie Farr did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Universities were quick to respond to the charges on Tuesday. According to the indictment, Stanford Universitys head sailing coach, John Vandemoer, took financial contributions to the sailing program from an intermediary in exchange for agreeing to recommend two prospective students for admission.
Stanford said Tuesday that Mr. Vandemoer had been fired. The University of Texas at Austin released a statement Tuesday saying that its mens tennis coach, Michael Center, has been placed on leave. And at U.S.C., Donna Heinel, a top athletic director, and Jovan Vavic, the mens and womens water polo coach, were terminated. Ms. Heinel received more than $1.3 million in bribes and Mr. Vavic about $250,000 according to federal prosecutors.
In a letter to the college community, Wanda M. Austin, the interim president of the University of Southern California, said, It is immensely disappointing that individuals would abuse their position at the university this way.
Like other college administrators, Dr. Austin said she did not believe that admissions officers were aware of the scheme or took part in it, and she described the university as a victim.
EVERYONE has known for the last hundred years that the Elites and many of the monied buy their way through life, including admission to the "right" schools. All the more ironic in that Democrats and Leftist-Elites happen to be THE biggest hypocrites of a very REAL "privilege" as they are THE abusers of the System. On both sides of the equation at colleges and universities the Dem-Left put The Fix in. And now they are eating themselves.
But now according to the MSM narrative, the wrong parties are indicted: THE PARENTS. And NOT liberal-Leftist run colleges.
Not that the parents also aren't wrong and hypocritical, the parents are just being scapegoated by the REAL institutional criminals of this "scandal": LIBERAL-MARXIST COLLEGE ADMISSIONS OFFICIALS AND SYSTEM THEY MAINTAIN.
Much the same as with American courts and gummint depts, the politburo establishment of academia are mostly Liberal/Marxist/Global-Firsters who routinely abuse their power.
I never thought this was an issue in that colleges do all kinds of crap. Like allowing in athletes who are not qualified, students who are not qualified but due to their special class are allowed in over qualified students of not of special race. Lets not forget politicians kids who would are not qualified.
Look at David Hogg. He should have never been allowed to attend Harvard!
I vote for those that can help America. Sometimes its about blocking demoncrats instead of advancing a cause.
If you are just happy to let it all go to hell at once then you are a broken man! As long as I can fight I will fight. Trump has done more to help America with absolutely no help from anyone. I think he deserves our support as long as he is kicking their ass! There may be a day when its over and nothing we do matters. Until then count me on the "lets get'er done", Side!
"Socialism corrupts and Democratic Socialism corrupts Absolutely"!
"Very sad that your top priority is GOP worship. "
No! I despise the gop elite but I have zero other vehicle to work with and get something accomplished other than crying about if only we just stopped voting GOP and voted for some other group. All that will get you is a guaranteed demoncrat ownership of government and zero chance of stopping them. Maybe you are a leftist in disguise and want the total destruction of America to a point were it can not be rebuilt and is over taken by even worse people?
God Family country! As I always have kept it!
"Socialism corrupts and Democratic Socialism corrupts Absolutely"!
I think he is so full of hate that it blinds him from reality. He would rather teardown this country in a fit of rage than to save it. Maybe he is right and there is nothing to save but I not dead so I will keep on fighting to save her!
"Socialism corrupts and Democratic Socialism corrupts Absolutely"!
This is shocking to me - I used to have a huge crush on her back in the day.
She always seemed so wholesome.
She had been a mainstay on the Hallmark Channel romance movies (yes, I've seen a few) but I heard they fired her and will no longer be airing any that she acted in.
Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men, of policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen. The essential feature of government is the enforcement of its decrees by beating, killing, and imprisoning. Those who are asking for more government interference are asking ultimately for more compulsion and less freedom.
Another Horse Dies at California Racetrack Deaths Now Stand at 22 The track is trying to resume racing even in the face of these fatalies
By Andrew Craft | March 15, 2019
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The number of horse deaths at a California racetrack now stands at 22. Since Late December, multiple horses have died at Santa Anita Park, leaving the sports insiders frantically looking for answers and solutions.
In one major decision, a zero-tolerance policy was declared for administering same-day race medication and whipping prized stallions.
People are shitty for a lot of reasons. Sometimes they're just shitty people. Sometimes people have been shitty to them and, even though they don't realize it, they take that shitty upbringing and go out into the world and treat others the same way. Sometimes they're shitty because they're afraid. Sometimes they choose to be shitty to others before others can be shitty to them. So it's like self-defensive shittiness. ~ Jennifer Niven
Kindly share with us, Bucky, all of your many reasons for always being so profoundly shitty
It would be not only nice, but fair to treat all posters the same. Will you restrict BuckerGoos accusations towards me, like youve ordered me to?
I seem to recall, not long ago, you asked me to go easy on BuckerGoo... and I did... but BuckerGoo was a constant asshole, to me, after your post. Remember that?
So... my question to you is simple. Are you treating me unfairly because you know in the end, Im more likely to comply with your request... than the anarchist asshole?
Or do you just believe its fair that BuckerGoo should make all kind of claims about me, my profession and reputation... and I should be silenced?
How do you know, my claims about BuckerGoo arent accurate? Do you know him personally? If so, is that the reason for your unfairness?
Heres a fucking novel idea, why not let two grown adults trade insults until the other one quits, stops posting or dies from old age?
Lastly, like that bitch Goldi, if you tell me not to post or leave the site, I will. Do you think BuckerGoo would do the same? Then why be unfair to me?
Dont be a Goldi. She died all alone due to craziness.
If it weren't already common knowledge that admin at college admissions (like at USC) could make admissions for mediocre students more easily and readily available for wealthier people like, say, Lori Loughlin, she wouldn't even have gone there. She's mere roadkill for the much bigger agenda and theater.
You'll notice USC and other colleges aren't cited anywhere in MSM or by LE for racketeering.
This entire stunt (and yes, it was a stunt) has FOUR primary functions and
a) It takes Lisa Page's testimony that the Feebs and Deep State methodically plotted a coup d'tat and set up Donald Trump off the front page.
b) The College Admissions "Oh-my-Gosh!! Ring" and "Bust!!!!" was designed to misdirect attention from Page's testimony and sullying of FBI reputation and indictment of its integrity
c) The Bust/Stunt was also intended to give a public perception that the Feebs are indeed performing "important work" that supposedly benefits society.
d) The Bust underscored the ongoing war against Capitalism and "wealthy, rich White people."
She had been a mainstay on the Hallmark Channel romance movies (yes, I've seen a few) but I heard they fired her and will no longer be airing any that she acted in.
Now even blackballed for THIS??
Meanwhile, Hollywood known pedos and groomers are...FREE.
She had been a mainstay on the Hallmark Channel romance movies (yes, I've seen a few) but I heard they fired her and will no longer be airing any that she acted in.
Now even blackballed for THIS??
Yes indeed. Hallmark is a class act IMO. Their movies are family-friendly, wholesome stories that have no sexual innuendo. There's barely any kissing.
I have yet to see a homosexual character in any of the movies I have seen.
If only the other networks upheld that high of a standard.
Meanwhile, Hollywood known pedos and groomers are...FREE.
I'd guess that Disney has the highest percentage.
Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men, of policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen. The essential feature of government is the enforcement of its decrees by beating, killing, and imprisoning. Those who are asking for more government interference are asking ultimately for more compulsion and less freedom.
Perhaps - my respect for her went down a couple of notches after this.
d) The Bust underscored the ongoing war against Capitalism and "wealthy, rich White people."
I disagree - when did it become OK to game the system simply because those doing the gaming are rich?
The thing is - the kids of the parents who did this will suffer the most. Sure the parents will pay some hefty fines, but I doubt any will seve time except for the scam artists who set up this scheme.
The kids probably didn't care what college they attended.
Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men, of policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen. The essential feature of government is the enforcement of its decrees by beating, killing, and imprisoning. Those who are asking for more government interference are asking ultimately for more compulsion and less freedom.