WELL IT'S A CHEATING SCANDAL AMONG THE RICH AND FAMOUS UNLIKE
ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN SEEN BEFORE.
JUST THIS WEEK THE FBI ANNOUNCED THAT AT LEAST 50 PEOPLE FROM 6
STATES WERE BEING CHARGED FOR THEIR ALLEGED INVOLVEMENT IN
WHAT'S BEING CALLED THE LARGEST COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCAM EVER
PROSECUTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
OF THE 50 CHARGED, 33 ARE PARENTS, INCLUDING ACTRESSES
FELICITY HUFFMAN AND LORI LOUGHLIN, ALONG WITH MIAMI
INVESTOR ROBERT ZANGRILLO.
ALL ARE ACCUSED OF PAYING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, SOMETIMES
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO HELP GET THEIR CHILD INTO AN ELITE
UNIVERSITY, BY FACILITATING CHEATING ON STANDARDIZED TESTS
OR ACTUALLY FAKING THEIR CHILD'S
CREDENTIALS AS A STRONG ATHLETE TO MAKE SPORTS TEAMS AT SCHOOLS
SUCH AS YALE, STANFORD AND USC.
OTHERS CHARGED IN THE PROBE INCLUDE TWO SAT/ACT
ADMINISTRATORS, AFTERNOON EXAM PROCTOR, A COLLEGE
ADMINISTRATOR, AND NINE UNIVERSITY COACHES.
THE INVESTIGATION ISN'T OVER, AND THE FBI SAYS EVEN MORE
PEOPLE COULD BE CHARGED.
SO FAR, NO UNIVERSITIES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO HAVE PLAYED A ROLE
IN THE DECEPTION.
SO WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT THE CURRENT COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
SYSTEM?
HERE TO HELP BREAK DOWN THE LATEST ON THIS DEVELOPING STORY
IS COLLEEN WRIGHT, EDUCATION REPORTER FOR THE MIAMI HERALD,
AND DAVE HYDE, SPORTS REPORTER FOR THE SUN-SENTINEL.
THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THANKS FOR HAVING US.
THANK YOU.
COLLEEN, LET'S START WITH YOU.
WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN THIS NEWS FIRST BROKE.
YOU ARE AN EDUCATION REPORTER, WHAT WAS YOUR IMPRESSION WHEN
THIS STORY GROWING.
SAT, ACT SCORES, EXTRA CURRICULARS, ABOVE AND BEYOND TO
HAVE A STELLAR RESUME.
WHEN YOU HEAR THAT SOME OF THESE PARENTS, HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF
KIND OF MAKING A BACK DOOR ENTRANCE FOR THEIR STUDENTS AND
A LOT OF THE KIDS IN SOME CASES THE KIDS WERE IN ON IT AND DID
KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.
BUT IN MOST CASES THE STUDENTS DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS
GOING ON AND THOUGHT THEY WERE GETTING IN ON THEIR ONLY MERITS.
WHAT HAPPENED, YOU ARE A SPORT REPORTER, PHOTO SHOPPING
OA KID'S FACE ON TO THOSE OF ATHLETES, IT'S INCREDIBLE RIGHT?
THEY'RE NOT AS GOOD LOOKING RIGHT?
MY REACTION WAS, LOOK IN THE SPORTS WORLD WE'RE USED TO IT
BEING THE OTHER WAY IF THERE'S A SCANDAL.
IT'S POOR KIDS RECEIVING CALLS OR MEALS OR SOME TYPE OF
INDUCEMENT TO GO TO A SCHOOL.
AND THIS IS RICH KIDS BRIBING THEIR WAY IN WITH MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS, IT'S THE ULTIMATE 1% SCANDAL IN COLLEGE SPORTS.
YES REALLY.
YOU WOULD THINK THESE KIDS, THEIR PARENTS COME FROM THESE
WEALTHY FAMILIES.
THEY HAD IT MADE IN THE SHADE IF YOU WILL TO BEGIN WITH.
SO IT JUST SEEMS SO OVER THE TOP, DON'T YOU THINK, THAT THEY
WENT TO THESE LENGTHS?
COLLEEN.
THE STATE ATTORNEY FROM MASSACHUSETTS, WHEN THEY
ANNOUNCED THE SCANDAL YOU KNOW EARLIER THIS WEEK, HE EVEN SAID
YOU KNOW, SOME PARENTS WILL DONATE MILLIONS TO A SCHOOL TO
HAVE THEIR NAME ON A BUILDING.
AND WE'VE SEEN THAT BEFORE SURE.
YOU SEE THAT AT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI THINGS ARE NAMED FOR
PEOPLE THAT DONATED MONEY.
THOSE ARE GOING TO EDUCATION AND THE SCHOOL, RIGHT?
RIGHT BUT THIS IS TOTALLY FROM THE GET-GO SOMETIMES THESE
KIDS ARE -- THEIR TEST SCORES WOULD BE CORRECTED WITH A
PROCTOR WHO KNEW KIND OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AGAIN THE KIDS SOMETIMES WERE NOT IN ON IT.
SOMETIMES HE WOULD JUST TAKE THE TEST FOR THEM.
THEY FABRICATED PROFILES, AND THEY MRS.
MADE THEIR KIDS TAKE IT LIKE A BASELINE TEST FIRST SO
THEIR STUDENTS ACTUALLY THOUGHT THEY HAD GROWN ON THEIR EXAMS.
BUT SOME OF THESE JUMPS ARE 400 POINTS OR TEN, 11, 12 POINTS ON
THE ACT WHICH IS ONLY ON A SCALE OF 36 SO VERY DECEIVING.
THERE IS A WOMAN IN SOUTH FLORIDA THAT HAD A SITUATION
LIKE THAT WHERE HER -- TAKE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE YOU COVERED
THAT STORY, THAT HER SAT SCORE WENT UP SEVERAL POINTS.
I MEAN SO TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT, THAT THAT WAS
SORT OF A RED FLAG FOR THE COLLEGE BOARD WASN'T IT?
YES.
IN JANUARY THERE WAS A STUDENT NAMED CAMILLA CAMPBELL FROM
MIAMI GARDENS.
SHE GOT A 900 ON THE SAT, NOT SO GREAT.
SO SHE SAID HER MOM BOUGHT HER AN SAT BOOK THE SIZE OF A PHONE
BOOK AND SHE CRAMMED, HER SCORINGS LOOKED LIKE, SHE
REALIZED SHE DIDN'T GET THEM ON TIME, SOMETHING WAS WRONG.
WHEN SHE CALLED THEY TOLD HER SHE GOT A 300 POINT INCREASE, TO
1230.
AN UNUSUAL LEAP RIGHT?
IT'S LARGE NOT UNPRECEDENTED BUT IT IS LARGE.
THE COLLEGE BOARD MAINTAINED THAT HER PATTERNS ON HER ANSWER
HE WERE SIMILAR TO ANOTHER STUDENT, NOT IN THE SAME ROOM OR
NOT.
SHE TRIED PROTESTING, THE COLLEGE BOARD AND GAVE UP AND IS
GOING TO TAKE THE TEST AGAIN.
DAVE LET'S GO AHEAD AND TALK ABOUT THE WHOLE SPORTS ASPECT OF
THIS.
AS A PARENT, WE ALL HAVE SEEN PARENTS DO THING LIKE THIS,
PARENTS WOULD ACTUALLY DO THE SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT FOR THEM.
SO FOR A PARENT TO PAY FOR AN ACT, SAT, IT SOUNDS HORRIFIC BUT
WE COULD KIND OF UNDERSTAND PARENTS WHO WOULD DO THAT.
GOING BACK TO STAKING YOUR CHILD AS AN ATHLETE TO GET ON A TEAM
JUST SEEMS SO OVER THE TOP.
SO WHAT DOES THE NCAA NOW GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS?
WELL I'M SURE THE NCAA RIGHT NOW IS MONITORING THE SITUATION.
BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT AN INVESTIGATIVE ARM.
THEY'LL LET THE LEGAL PROCESS PLAY OUT AND THEN WILL COME DOWN
TO SOME TYPE OF DECISION ON WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO.
BUT ALREADY YOU'RE SEEING EXECUTIVES AND THE OFFICIALS IN
THE LIKE USC ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT BEING FIRED, COACHES,
ADMINISTRATORS, PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH THAT.
SO THERE ARE GOING TO BE BIG REPERCUSSIONS IN THE ATHLETICS
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY IT LOOKS LIKE.
THE QUESTION IS WHAT THE NCAA WILL DO AFTER THAT.
WALK US THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE LIKE THE TENNIS COACH AT GEORGE TOWN
HAS THESE SLOTS.
HOW MUCH POWER DOES A COACH HAVE?
THEY HAVE AN ATHLETE THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ON THEIR TEAM.
ISN'T THERE SOME SORT OF VETTING BY THE ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE
SURE THAT STUDENT IS A QUALIFIED STUDENT?
IT DEPENDS FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL BUT YEAH.
THERE IS SOME VETTING, THERE OBVIOUSLY ISN'T VERCH THOUGH AT
SOME OF THESE -- VERY MUCH THOUGH AT SOME OF THESE SKILLS.
I KNOW AT THE I BELIEVE GEORGETOWN ONE OF THE COACHES
GOT CALLED UP AND SAID, HEY WHY ISN'T THIS RECRUIT THAT YOU
WANTED INTO THE SCHOOL ON YOUR TEAM?
AND THE COACH SAID WELL HE GOT HURT, OF COURSE HE WASN'T AN
ATHLETE TO BEGIN WITH.
SO YEAH, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN THESE SMALLER PROGRAMS, THE
SAILING PROGRAM AND THE WATER POLO AND PROGRAMS THAT AREN'T ON
TV, AREN'T MAKING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WE ALL KNOW ABOUT,
I'M SURE THAT THE RULE -- THE VETTING NT NEARLY AS MUCH.
-- ISN'T NEARLY AS MUCH.
IT MIGHT CHANGE.
TALK ABOUT, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT A TWEET THAT CAME OUT FROM
DONNA SHELALAH, THE FORM HE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY EVER
MIAMI WHAT WAS SHE SAYING?
OUR NEWLY ELECTED CONGRESSWOMAN, PROBABLY NOT AS
PROMINENT AS UM, HER TEAM SENT A STATEMENT CALLING FOR APROBE IN
THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE OVER HIGHER EDUCATION, LOOKING INTO
THESE BACK DOORWAYS INTO A UNIVERSITY THAT ARE FRAUDULENT
THROUGH CHEATING ON AN EXAM OR THROUGH ATHLETIC PROFILE.
AND THAT'S PRETTY INTERESTING BECAUSE THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
ACTUALLY RECEIVED $100,000 FROM THE NONPROFIT, QUOTE UNQUOTH,
FOUNDATION,.
KEY WORLDWIDE.
BETWEEN 2016 AND 2017, THAT WAS BEFORE SHE 10th DOWN IN
2015, IT IS INTERESTING, THERE ARE ABOUT 750 FAMILIES INVOLVED,
THESE ALLEGATIONS GO BACK TO 2012.
IT IS VERY POSSIBLE WE WILL SEE SOME FAMILY FROM UNIVERSITY
OF MIAMI IMPLICATED IN THIS.
A LOT OF THESE GRADUATES, AREN'T YOU CALLING YOUR PARENTS
AND SAYING, WAIT A SECOND, APRIL I REALLY AS SMART AS I THINK SO?
IMAGINE THE CALMS THESE PARENTS ARE GETTING FROM THEIR
STUDENTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, APPRECIATE YOUR INSIGHT, THE INVESTIGATION
CONTINUES, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
SO WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THIS COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDAL?
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
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