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47of74

(18,470 posts)
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 11:09 AM Mar 2019

College coaches, others indicted in admissions bribery case

Source: WOWT

College coaches and others have been charged in a sweeping admissions bribery case unsealed in federal court.

The racketeering conspiracy charges unveiled Tuesday were brought against the coaches at schools including Wake Forest University, Georgetown and the University of Southern California.

Authorities say the coaches accepted bribes in exchange for admitting students as athletes, regardless of their ability.

Prosecutors say parents paid an admissions consultant $25 million from 2011 through Feb. 2019 to bribe coaches and administrators to label their children as recruited athletes to boost their chances of getting into schools.

Read more: https://www.wowt.com/content/news/College-coaches-others-indicted-in-admissions-bribery-case-507032061.html



Next question for schools - done a corruption lately?
55 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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College coaches, others indicted in admissions bribery case (Original Post) 47of74 Mar 2019 OP
This is why you should support your local community college. Coventina Mar 2019 #1
Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman among the more famous people being charged. nt Quackers Mar 2019 #2
No! Not Aunt Becky! Major Nikon Mar 2019 #21
... durablend Mar 2019 #22
... Major Nikon Mar 2019 #52
My wife is freaking out because she also plays in When Calls the Heart. Quackers Mar 2019 #27
Yeah going from the full house to the big house. 47of74 Mar 2019 #37
Already casting I see... durablend Mar 2019 #40
There's a whole lot more to this. displacedtexan Mar 2019 #3
I am sure this has been going on literally BumRushDaShow Mar 2019 #4
Felicity Huffman, Lori Loughlin indicted in case alleging bribery to get kids into colleges mobeau69 Mar 2019 #5
Felicity Huffman is married to William Macy.......fantastic actor. a kennedy Mar 2019 #6
This is interesting from your link BumRushDaShow Mar 2019 #8
There are some big names going down. Stanford sailing coach to plead guilty today. mobeau69 Mar 2019 #11
As I posted earlier in this thread BumRushDaShow Mar 2019 #15
I listened to the press conference MichMary Mar 2019 #29
Even if that were the case BumRushDaShow Mar 2019 #31
I am shocked SHOCKED to find gambling on here. nycbos Mar 2019 #7
Bet if they looked back to the year Trump transfered from Fordham University to U of Penn they would Pachamama Mar 2019 #9
My First Thought! DoctorJoJo Mar 2019 #10
Are you saying Fordham was paid off to keep quite about Trump's escapades? SkatmanRoth Mar 2019 #46
Some stock photos of athletes were photoshopped with the applicants face mobeau69 Mar 2019 #12
Question; Why did Trump threaten his Alma Maters? djacq Mar 2019 #13
Let the chips fall where they may....... oldsoftie Mar 2019 #14
Yep. mobeau69 Mar 2019 #16
Some paid $2.5 million to as much as $6 million to get their kids accepted! mobeau69 Mar 2019 #17
Get the Kid(s) a Tutor erpowers Mar 2019 #51
Some of these kids only went to college due to family pressure crazycatlady Mar 2019 #54
Some of the students didn't even PLAY the sports... 3catwoman3 Mar 2019 #18
Both of Loughlin's daughters had to know their crew exp. was a lie. displacedtexan Mar 2019 #42
Law enforcement code named the operation "Varsity Blues" Va Lefty Mar 2019 #19
Twitter has gone to work. 47of74 Mar 2019 #35
I am not surprised, but infuriated jmbar2 Mar 2019 #20
I remembering my English 101 prof saying you can only play Monopoly so long before you need to mobeau69 Mar 2019 #23
Monopoly - what a great concept. So true! jmbar2 Mar 2019 #32
1. Holy fuckin' DAMN! Blue_Tires Mar 2019 #24
UCLA and Wake Forest are not "trash schools" obamanut2012 Mar 2019 #30
Yeah, that's why a few greasy bucks slipped to an athletics coach Blue_Tires Mar 2019 #39
Hmmmmmm, I wonder how this ever turned out for this student..... a kennedy Mar 2019 #25
She withdrew her suit, as I recall. Jedi Guy Mar 2019 #38
Sooner or later I think all colleges should dump big time athletics Botany Mar 2019 #26
My undergrad did that for a while back in the 20s 47of74 Mar 2019 #34
This message was self-deleted by its author geralmar Mar 2019 #44
nothing to do with education: Untrue Blackjackdavey Mar 2019 #53
This is just the tip of the iceberg obamanut2012 Mar 2019 #28
I'll bet you're right that this is the tip of the iceberg. Jeez, rich kids already have such an deurbano Mar 2019 #41
Extra &/or private test time w/an aide is for those w/disabilities displacedtexan Mar 2019 #43
This message was self-deleted by its author geralmar Mar 2019 #45
It's gonna come up. . . matt819 Mar 2019 #33
Oh, pul-eeze! None of the majors in college football or basketball???? mpcamb Mar 2019 #36
I'm not understanding your point MichMan Mar 2019 #47
I don't think you understand this scandal. DrToast Mar 2019 #49
Stanford has a sailing coach??????????????? Hotler Mar 2019 #48
College Corruption JGug1 Mar 2019 #50
'Rapper' son defends parents in college admissions scandal: 'Everyone has a right to go to college, Judi Lynn Mar 2019 #55

Quackers

(2,256 posts)
27. My wife is freaking out because she also plays in When Calls the Heart.
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 12:46 PM
Mar 2019

They already killed off one of the main characters, guess they might have to do it again. Lol
She’s looking at prison time if convicted.

BumRushDaShow

(127,312 posts)
4. I am sure this has been going on literally
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 11:26 AM
Mar 2019

for well over 3 centuries here in what is now the U.S., all the way back to what is now called "Harvard" (founded 1636).

BumRushDaShow

(127,312 posts)
8. This is interesting from your link
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 11:33 AM
Mar 2019
Prosecutors say parents paid an admissions consultant $25 million from 2011 through Feb. 2019 to bribe coaches and administrators to label their children as recruited athletes to boost their chances of getting into schools.

Prosecutors allege that fake athletic profiles were also made to make students look like strong high school athletes when they actually weren't.

Authorities say the consulting company also bribed administrators of college entrance exams to allow a Florida man to take the tests on behalf of students or replace their answers with his.


Whoever that "admissions consultant" and "consulting company" is, they are in deep doo doo.

Folks might recall the mess in Atlanta with their cheating scandal and the aftermath, but this with these colleges, is on a whole 'nother level.

mobeau69

(11,079 posts)
11. There are some big names going down. Stanford sailing coach to plead guilty today.
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 11:49 AM
Mar 2019

A bunch of wealthy parents, including public and private CEOs, and people at Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown, Texas, USC all involved.


BumRushDaShow

(127,312 posts)
15. As I posted earlier in this thread
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 11:57 AM
Mar 2019

this kind of thing has been going on since these schools were founded.

The question might be, what made them finally pull the plug and why?

(my CT generator says - maybe it is a purge of the "nouveau riche" in favor of the true "1%", although the true 1% can go to school anywhere in the world or not at all )

BumRushDaShow

(127,312 posts)
31. Even if that were the case
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 01:00 PM
Mar 2019

over several centuries they manage to quash such "investigations" and just didn't really go there - outside of maybe from the "scholarship fraud" angle, which seems to somewhat be the case here.

Pachamama

(16,874 posts)
9. Bet if they looked back to the year Trump transfered from Fordham University to U of Penn they would
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 11:39 AM
Mar 2019

....find Fred Trump made some payments....

mobeau69

(11,079 posts)
12. Some stock photos of athletes were photoshopped with the applicants face
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 11:54 AM
Mar 2019

showing them "participating" in various sports. Gawd damn! A bunch or hardworking, deserving young people got screwed by the wealthy scammers.

djacq

(1,633 posts)
13. Question; Why did Trump threaten his Alma Maters?
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 11:54 AM
Mar 2019

Was this a practice that was done before?

Makes you think.

erpowers

(9,350 posts)
51. Get the Kid(s) a Tutor
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 10:06 PM
Mar 2019

They could have spent a lot less money and gotten their kids tutors. They also could have paid for the kids to take test prep programs. The fact that these people paid so much money to buy their kids into a college shows just how lazy these parents and kids were when it came to getting admitted to college.

crazycatlady

(4,492 posts)
54. Some of these kids only went to college due to family pressure
Wed Mar 13, 2019, 05:54 PM
Mar 2019

Look at Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Guinnaulli's daughter Olivia Jade. Prior to going to USC, she could be seen as a social media influencer, posting sponsored content from brands. On her YouTube channel, she says “But I do want the experience of like game days, partying…I don’t really care about school, as you guys all know.”

If the name Mossimo sounds familiar, this is the same Mossimo with a clothing line at Target (which I have some pieces in my closet).

3catwoman3

(23,819 posts)
18. Some of the students didn't even PLAY the sports...
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 12:08 PM
Mar 2019

...for which they were "recruited" - WTF?!

This is disgusting. That qualified student athletes missed their own chances because of cheaters makes my blood boil and my heart hurt.

I have a soft spot for college soccer. My sons played D3 soccer at Carthage College, and were on the team together for 2 years. They made it on their own. They worked hard, played hard, and in the case of my older son, studied hard (younger son, not so much.) Made lifelong friends.

I will be following this story with great interest.

displacedtexan

(15,695 posts)
42. Both of Loughlin's daughters had to know their crew exp. was a lie.
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 04:57 PM
Mar 2019

Neither one had ever rowed anything other than the exercise machine in their home. The older girl is probably a senior this year at USC, & the younger one (the influencer) started last fall.

jmbar2

(4,832 posts)
20. I am not surprised, but infuriated
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 12:22 PM
Mar 2019

The super rich fuck everything up for everyone else. That's why the founding fathers worried about inherited wealth leading to concentration of wealth.

The desire for MORE is destroying the very earth we live on. They're out of control, and reproducing themselves uncontrollably. The world cannot afford so many rich people. We need to make taxes so onerous that they fucking flee the country.

mobeau69

(11,079 posts)
23. I remembering my English 101 prof saying you can only play Monopoly so long before you need to
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 12:33 PM
Mar 2019

clear the board, shuffle the cards and start the game over. Inheritance should be limited to something like 1 million per child. Let the kids make as much as they can, subject to a healthy progressive wealth and income tax, on their own.

Blue_Tires

(55,445 posts)
24. 1. Holy fuckin' DAMN!
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 12:34 PM
Mar 2019

2. These parents spent a total of TWENTY-FIVE FUCKING MILLION DOLLARS IN JUST EIGHT YEARS?? All so their little snowflake could get into UCLA? At what point do they just put all the money in a pot and create a new university of their own?

3. Why did they even need to use a "broker" in the first place? What ever happened to the old "sizable donation to the scholarship fund?" or, "Donating some funds for the renovation of the football stadium?"

4. Who in the name of christ risks their career, reputation and imprisonment to get their brats into trash schools like UCLA and Wake? (Don't worry, Stanford, Cal and Yale are also equally trash, but for different reasons)

Blue_Tires

(55,445 posts)
39. Yeah, that's why a few greasy bucks slipped to an athletics coach
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 02:27 PM
Mar 2019

is enough to get any well-to-do unqualified brat admitted, right?

(Disclaimer: I'm trying to have some fun here so any DUers unfortunate enough to attend said schools, or DUers who hated their kids enough to sent them to these schools can keep their powder dry.)

a kennedy

(29,466 posts)
25. Hmmmmmm, I wonder how this ever turned out for this student.....
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 12:37 PM
Mar 2019

Kamilah Campbell, 18, was just like any other college bound teen and set her sights on conquering the SAT, a national standardized test which determines your eligibility for admission and aid.

On October 6, Campbell retook the exam after initially completing the test in March with the hopes to gain a higher score. A resident of Miami Gardens, Florida, Campbell attends Michael M. Krop Senior High School where she is an honor student with a 3.1 GPA.

But on October 19, she received a notice from the Educational Testing Service which stated that her score was under review due to the significant increase between her first and second attempt.

After speaking with an ETS representative, Campbell was told she scored a 1230, more than 300 points higher than her March score. She was also informed that her score indicated she held “prior knowledge” of the test, which blatantly accused the student of cheating.


https://madamenoire.com/1054297/florida-student-demands-her-sat-scores-be-released-after-testing-officials-accuse-her-of-cheating/

Jedi Guy

(3,171 posts)
38. She withdrew her suit, as I recall.
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 02:06 PM
Mar 2019

I don't recall if any of the coverage said why she did so, or if a reason was ever given. Maybe they actually had evidence of cheating, I dunno.

Botany

(70,291 posts)
26. Sooner or later I think all colleges should dump big time athletics
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 12:37 PM
Mar 2019

Except for a few schools almost every one of them lose big money on intercollegiate sports,
and it has nothing to do with education.

BTW I love to watch Ohio State sports too.

 

47of74

(18,470 posts)
34. My undergrad did that for a while back in the 20s
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 01:27 PM
Mar 2019

The school President felt it was distracting from their educational mission.

Response to 47of74 (Reply #34)

Blackjackdavey

(177 posts)
53. nothing to do with education: Untrue
Wed Mar 13, 2019, 05:37 PM
Mar 2019

My son has dyslexia. He is also an elite talented soccer player, the kind of elite where he is the best player on the teams that only take the best players which I strongly believe he would not be if he didn't have dyslexia. He has accommodations but he is almost certainly not going to score in the average SAT/ACT admission range of a good D1 school. He is being recruited by D1 schools. Therefore, he will gain admission with the skills he does have and since he is a serious, dedicated student as well combined with the full range of educational supports and requirements the school he plans to attend will provide, he will have educational opportunities he will have otherwise not had without being especially talented athletically.

obamanut2012

(25,911 posts)
28. This is just the tip of the iceberg
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 12:52 PM
Mar 2019

Loughlin and Huffman are just the most well-known -- also, why was William Macy listed??? He is Huffman's husband.

Testing Centers are involved in this, too.

Loughlin's daughter has a sponcon IG where she sponcons from her dorm room.

deurbano

(2,891 posts)
41. I'll bet you're right that this is the tip of the iceberg. Jeez, rich kids already have such an
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 04:19 PM
Mar 2019

advantage with SAT and subject tutors and college admissions coaches and private schools that provide not only small class sizes but their own dedicated college admissions counselors. My kids' public high school in SF has parents spearheading the college counseling since the HS school counselors have limited time, given the number of kids assigned to each of them... while one of the pricey privates has/or had a former Stanford admissions officer as a designated college counselor! Of course, even many non-rich families like ours get tutors when needed, and in SF, the after-school tutoring places are mainly filled with non-rich Asian kids, including kids of immigrants, because education is a high priority. But their families are sacrificing to do this, and the kids still have to do the work.

But to actually have a proctor correct the SAT answers?! And how does that even work? How does a kid get to take the test in a setting with one proctor?

Many rich kids also have the legacy advantage... and if all else fails, their rich parents can make a large donation to a college. I mean, those are at least legal (if not at all based on merit) ways to get in, and these parents seem to have enough money to donate a few million. Were they just trying to go cheap? Plus schools like Brown and Duke used to actively recruit celebrity kids:
How Lowering the Bar Helps Colleges Prosper--Duke and Brown Universities Rise in Prestige In Part by Wooing Kids of Hollywood, Business Elite https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB115774251817757837

Did the kids know their tests were corrected? And will they be kicked out of college now?

displacedtexan

(15,695 posts)
43. Extra &/or private test time w/an aide is for those w/disabilities
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 05:07 PM
Mar 2019

If people lie about sports abilities, nothing would stop them from lying about a learning disability or physical impairment.

I know what you mean about SF. There are too many before and after school tutoring places in my neighborhood (Inner Richmond) to count. The pressure on Asian kids is scary.

Response to deurbano (Reply #41)

matt819

(10,749 posts)
33. It's gonna come up. . .
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 01:25 PM
Mar 2019

Political affiliations?

This is awful in so many ways. But as others have observed, there is much wrong with the admissions process - legacies, illiterate athletes, donations. I'd like to say that this will shine a light on that process, but it won't. We have similar discussions every year at college application and college admission time, and there have been many exposes. It's corrupt in places. It's a sham at times. But I don't see things changing. I'm just glad that those years are behind me.

mpcamb

(2,855 posts)
36. Oh, pul-eeze! None of the majors in college football or basketball????
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 01:30 PM
Mar 2019

Something smell funny here!
Those guys (yeah. guys.) make millions.
Do you think for a minute they're as pure as the driven snow?
Big money, but women and underlings are generally the scapegoats.

MichMan

(11,789 posts)
47. I'm not understanding your point
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 06:46 PM
Mar 2019

Are you speculating that the athletic departments & coaches are bribed by parents to get their kids on a football or basketball team?

If anything the star recruits in Football & Basketball would be bribed by boosters to attend a specific school not the other way around. Cam Newton is a good example of this activity

JGug1

(320 posts)
50. College Corruption
Tue Mar 12, 2019, 08:54 PM
Mar 2019

There simply is no end to it. This is the culture that put a Donald Trump in office.
There simply is no one who can be trusted.

Judi Lynn

(160,218 posts)
55. 'Rapper' son defends parents in college admissions scandal: 'Everyone has a right to go to college,
Wed Mar 13, 2019, 11:55 PM
Mar 2019

BOB BRIGHAM
13 MAR 2019 AT 23:41 ET

‘Rapper’ son defends parents in college admissions scandal: ‘Everyone has a right to go to college, man’

The “rapper” son of Gregory and Marcia Abbott defended his parents on Wednesday

The New York Post caught up with Malcolm Abbott after he “popped out of the family’s Park Avenue building to smoke a giant blunt — while defending his parents and bragging about his latest CD.”

As the NY Post reported Tuesday, “New York food and beverage distributor Gregory Abbott and his wife allegedly paid over $100,000 to help their daughter cheat on the SAT and ACT.”

“They’re blowing this whole thing out of proportion,” Malcolm Abbott told the newspaper. “I believe everyone has a right to go to college, man.”

More:
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/03/rapper-son-defends-parents-college-admissions-scandal-everyone-right-go-college-man/?utm_source=push_notifications

~ ~ ~



Proud papa, Gregory Abbott


NYC beverage bigwig caught up in college admissions scandal
By Priscilla DeGregory, Kevin Fasick and Aaron Feis March 12, 2019 | 10:23pm

New York food and beverage distributor Gregory Abbott and his wife allegedly paid over $100,000 to help their daughter cheat on the SAT and ACT, authorities said.

The couple gave admitted mastermind William “Rick” Singer bribes of $50,000 and $75,000 to have an on-the-take proctor doctor their teen’s tests to bring the scores up to snuff, prosecutors charge.

More:
https://nypost.com/2019/03/12/nyc-beverage-bigwig-caught-up-in-college-admissions-scandal/

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