CHILDREN OF HIS CLIENTS.
NOT ON THEIR MERITS, BUT THROUGH
FRAUD.
>> Melissa: WE ARE JOINED NOW
BY PROFESSOR ALAN DERSHOWITZ, OF
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL.
HE'S A PROFESSOR EMERITUS THERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US.
JUST EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHO ARE
JUST JOINING US, THIS WILLIAM
SINGER WAS ALLEGEDLY THE LEADER
OF THIS RING AND HE OPERATED
OTHER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, AT
LEAST IN PART.
AS SOMEBODY WHO HELPED THE KID
GET INTO COLLEGE, HE DID
ADMISSIONS COUNSELING.
HIS APPROACH WAS TWO-PRONGED.
HE HAD ONE VERY ELABORATE SCHEME
TO HELP KIDS CHEAT ON THE ACT OR
THE S.A.T., WHICH INVOLVED
HAVING THEM SUBMIT A NOTE FROM A
DOCTOR THAT THEY NEEDED EXTRA
TIME BECAUSE THEY HAD LEARNING
DISABILITIES, THEN HE WOULD GET
SOMEONE IN THE ROOM TO EITHER
TAKE THE TEST OR CHANGE THEIR
ANSWERS.
HIS OTHER VENUE WAS TO BRIBE
COACHES AT VARIOUS UNIVERSITIES
TO SAY THAT THEY WERE RECRUITING
THE CHILD FOR ONE OF THE ATHLETE
SPOTS AND GET THEM IN THAT WAY.
THAT COACH WOULD TAKE A BRIBE
AND WHEN THE KID GOT TO SCHOOL
THEY WOULD EITHER FAKE AN
INJURY, JOIN THE TEAM FOR A
MINUTE AND QUIT, OR JUST SAY
THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND ABOUT
PLAYING THE SPORT.
SOME PEOPLE, THEY SAID, THEY
ALLEGE IN THIS PRESS CONFERENCE
THAT THEY PAID AS MUCH AS
$6 MILLION.
AND THEY PAID THE MONEY TO A
CHARITY, SO EVERYBODY INVOLVED
DEDUCTED THE AMOUNT OF THEIR
BRIBE FROM THEIR TAXES.
WOW!
WHAT IS THE PENALTY FOR
SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
HOW DO YOU SEE THIS CASE
UNFOLDING?
>> FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS THE
WORST SCANDAL INVOLVING ELITE
UNIVERSITIES IN THE HISTORY OF
THE UNITED STATES.
LET THERE BE NO DOUBT ABOUT
THIS.
NOBODY CAN DIMINISH THE
IMPORTANCE OF THIS.
INVOLVING AS IT DOES SOME OF THE
MAJOR, MAJOR UNIVERSITIES IN THE
COUNTRY.
LOOK, EVERY INDIVIDUAL WHO IS
CHARGED SHOULD BE PRESUMED
INNOCENT.
WE HAVE TO WAIT AND HEAR THE
EVIDENCE.
BUT THIS INVOLVES THE MOST ELITE
UNIVERSITIES, COACHES, THE
S.A.T., THE ACT -- THIS IS
REALLY ONE OF THE GREAT SCANDALS
OF THE 21ST CENTURY.
HAVING SAID THAT, I THINK IT IS
JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.
REMEMBER, THIS DOESN'T INVOLVE
THE SUPER, SUPER RICH.
THE SUPER, SUPER RICH BUY
BUILDINGS FOR THE UNIVERSITY.
THEY DONATE HUNDREDS AND
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
THEIR KIDS GETTING IN.
THIS INVOLVES THE VERY RICH.
THE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T QUITE
AFFORD TO GIVE A BUILDING BUT
CAN AFFORD TO SPEND $5 MILLION
OR $6 MILLION.
AND ONCE THIS INVESTIGATION IS
COMPLETE, WE WILL SEE THAT THIS
PERSON, SINGER -- IF THE
ALLEGATIONS ARE TRUE -- WENT
OVER ANY POSSIBLE LINE AND DID
CLEARLY COMMIT CRIMES.
APPARENTLY HE IS PLEADING GUILT
GUILTY.
IN SOME RESPECTS, THIS IS A
MATTER OF DEGREE.
THAT WE WILL SEE OTHER MANY
SCANDALS INVOLVING CONTRIBUTIONS
UNIVERSITIES, COACHES WHO ARE
PREPARED TO STRETCH THE RULES.
AT BOTTOM, YOU KNOW THE FAULT
FOR THIS LIES IN THE FACT THAT
WE'VE ABOLISHED GRADES AND
UNIVERSITIES IN MANY PARTS OF
THE COUNTRY.
NOBODY FAILS ANYMORE.
IF WE WENT BACK TO THE SITUATION
THAT OCCURRED WHEN I STARTED
TEACHING AT HARVARD, ALMOST 60
YEARS AGO, THIS COULDN'T WORK.
BECAUSE THE STUDENTS WOULD FAIL
OUT.
IT DIDN'T PAY FOR THEM TO GET
INTO COLLEGE BECAUSE THEY WOULD
MAKE IT THROUGH.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE ACADEMIC
RESOURCES TO MAKE IT.
BUT TODAY NOBODY FAILS.
TODAY, NOBODY GETS BAD GRADES.
NOBODY EVEN GETS Cs.
IN MANY UNIVERSITIES THEY HAVE
ABOLISHED GRADES.
SO THERE IS NO WAY OF TESTING
WHETHER THEY ARE QUALIFIED OR
COMPETENT.
ONCE THEY GET INTO COLLEGE, MANY
JUST SAIL THROUGH BECAUSE OF THE
WAY UNIVERSITIES HAVE DECIDED TO
TREAT THEIR STUDENTS.
I THINK WE WILL SEE THIS AS THE
TIP OF A VERY, VERY DEEP
ICEBERG.
I DON'T BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE
SPECIAL SLOTS FOR ATHLETES.
COLLEGES ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE
ABOUT ATHLETICS.
ATHLETICS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
COLLATERAL.
TODAY KIDS WHO AREN'T QUALIFIED
OR ARE MINIMALLY QUALIFIED GET
IN BECAUSE THEY ARE A GOOD
QUARTERBACK VERY GOOD SOCCER
PLAYER.
THAT'S THE BEGINNING OF THE
PROBLEM.
THIS INVOLVES OVERT CHEATING AND
PARTICULARLY ON THE S.A.T.S,
BRIBERY.
IT CROSSES THE LINE.
ONCE THE INVESTIGATION UNFOLDS
WE WILL SEE THAT THERE IS MORE
TO THIS BESIDES THE REALLY BAD
GUYS AT ONE END OF THE SPECTRUM.
IT'S A CONTINUUM.
>> Melissa: YEAH.
THIS IS SO ELABORATE, THIS
SCHEME.
BECAUSE HE HAD DEVELOPED
RELATIONSHIPS, IT SEEMS -- AND
THEY'VE SAID THIS IN PART, BUT
IT'S OBVIOUS FROM HOW IT PLAYED
OUT -- HE HAD ESTABLISHED
RELATIONSHIPS WITH COACHES AT
MANY DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES WITH
PEOPLE WHO WORK WITHIN THE
TESTING COMMUNITY AT THE S.A.T.
AND THE ACT.
IT IS SO ELABORATE, TO HAVE
CONNECTIONS IN ALL THESE PLACES.
AND TO FIND PEOPLE IN ALL THESE
PLACES THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO
TAKE BRIBES.
IT SEEMS LIKE, INEVITABLY, THE
RELEASED
BOY THEY STUMBLED UPON THIS WAS
A TOTALLY UNRELATED CASE.
THEY HAD SOMEONE IN THEIR GROUPS
WHO SAID, "BY THE WAY, I HAVE A
HUGE SCANDAL YOU DON'T KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT.
HERE'S A TIP ON IT."
THAT'S HOW THEY GOT STARTED ON
THIS ROAD.
>> AND THAT'S THE WAY MANY OF
THESE HAPPEN.
>> Melissa: AND CONSPIRACY,
WHAT DOES THAT -- THIS IS
RACKETEERING, NO?
>> THIS IS RICO.
RACKETEERING.
IT INVOLVES AN ENTERPRISE.
OBVIOUSLY, THE SINGER COPPING
DOWN MY COMPANY IS
THE ENTERPRISE.
THROUGH THE ENTERPRISE THEY
COMMITTED THESE BRIBES, FRAUD,
CHEATING.
RICO CARRIES A VERY SIGNIFICANT
CRIMINAL SENTENCE.
IT ALSO HAS CIVIL LIABILITY.
WE ARE GOING TO SEE THIS THING
SPREAD.
QUESTIONS ARE GOING TO RAISE
WHETHER THE KIDS THAT GOT IN
SHOULD HAVE THEIR DIPLOMAS
REVOKED.
WHAT IF THEY GOT AN A+, AND DID
VERY WELL?
IT INVOLVES THE COACHES, EACH OF
WHOM IS PRESUMED INNOCENT.
SOME OF THEM TOOK THE MONEY FOR
THEMSELVES ACCORDING TO THIS
INDICTMENT.
SOME OF THEM SHARE THE MONEY
WITH THE UNIVERSITY.
THE REAL QUESTION IS HOW HIGH UP
IN THE UNIVERSITY DOES THIS GO,
AND HOW HIGH UP IN THE S.A.T.
AND ACT DOES THIS GO?
I HOPE IT DOESN'T BRING ABOUT
THE RESULT OF ABOLISHING THE
S.A.T. OR ABOLISHING THE ACT.
THAT WOULD BE A TERRIBLE
MISTAKE.
IT WOULD MEAN THAT KIDS GET INTO
UNIVERSITIES BASED ON WHO THE
PARENTS ARE, THEIR
PERSONALITIES, COLLATERAL
FACTORS LIKE RACE AND OTHER
ISSUES.
WE STILL NEED STANDARDIZED
TESTING.
BUT NOW WE'VE SEEN THE
STANDARDIZED TESTING BEING
CORRUPTED, ITSELF.
THIS IS A MAJOR, MAJOR SCANDAL
THAT INVOLVES EVERY ASPECT OF
ADMISSIONS UNIVERSITIES.
I HOPE I'M RIGHT BY SAYING
HARVARD ISN'T INVOLVED, BECAUSE
AT LEAST, AT THE MOMENT, THE
UNIVERSITY THAT I TAUGHT AT FOR
50 YEARS DOESN'T SEEM TO BE
INVOLVED.
THOUGH THE UNIVERSITY THAT I
WENT TO, YALE LAW SCHOOL, DOES
SEEM INVOLVED.
IT'S JUST A TRAGEDY.
IT'S A TRAGEDY FOR KIDS WHO
DIDN'T GET INTO COLLEGE, BECAUSE
OF THE KIDS CHEATED THEIR WAY
INTO COLLEGE.
IT'S A TRAGEDY FOR INNOCENT
PEOPLE AT THESE UNIVERSITIES WHO
WILL NOT BE SUSPECT.
SO WE HAVE TO CAREFULLY LOOK AT
THE EVIDENCE AND MAKE SURE THE
PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE
REMAINS, BUT THAT IF THERE IS
EVIDENCE OF GUILT, THE GUILTY
ARE PUNISHED.
>> Melissa: THE QUESTION
BECOMES A LOT OF THE STUDENTS
ARE CURRENTLY AT THE SCHOOLS
RIGHT NOW.
WHAT DOES THE UNIVERSITY DECIDE
TO DO ABOUT THAT?
THEY MADE THAT POINT, THAT IT