Students sue colleges over bribery scandal
SAN FRANCISCO — In the first lawsuit to come out of the college bribery scandal, several students are suing Yale, Georgetown, Stanford and other schools involved in the case, saying they and others were denied a fair shot at admission.
The plaintiffs brought the classaction complaint Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco on behalf of themselves and other applicants and asked for unspecified damages.
They argued that applicants who played by the rules were victimized when rich and famous parents paid bribes that enabled unqualified students to get into highly selective universities.
“Each of the universities took the students’ admission application fees while failing to take adequate steps to ensure that their admissions process was fair and free of fraud, bribery, cheating and dishonesty,” the lawsuit said.
Legal experts, though, said the students could have difficulty holding the colleges responsible.
The scandal erupted on Tuesday when federal prosecutors announced charges against 50 people, including coaches and dozens of parents, among them TV actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. Prosecutors said parents paid to rig standardized exams and bribed coaches to get their children designated as recruited athletes in sports they didn’t even play, thereby boosting their chances of getting in.
Mickelson used Singer service, but ‘we’re not part of this’
Phil Mickelson says he might be “more shocked than anyone” to learn that a college consulting company he has used the last three years has been accused of orchestrating a massive bribery scheme.
He said he never contributed to William “Rick” Singer’s foundation tied to his California-based company, Edge College & Career Network, but used the service to find the right fit for his children.
His oldest daughter is a sophomore at Brown.
“We’re not part of this,” Mickelson said. “Most every family that has used his company are not a part of it. That’s why I think we’re all so surprised.”
“We, along with thousands of other families, hired he and his company to help us guide through the college application process, and we’re probably more shocked than anyone,” Mickelson said after his first round of The Players Championship. “We’ve been dealing with it the last few days, but that’s about it.”
Mickelson was delayed after his 74 because of random drug testing. He tweeted that he was not part of “this fraud.”
His daughter attended Pacific Ridge School in San Diego, where she was a co-captain of the tennis team and the school president. He has two other children and says he has been using Singer’s company to find them the right colleges.
Singer pleaded guilty on Tuesday.
“Our kids . . . schools are like fighting to get them,” Mickelson said. “I say that as a proud dad. But their grades, their outside activities, their worldly views on things, have colleges recruiting them.”
Brown University spokesman Brian Clark said Thursday a review of every varsity athlete over the last four years generated “zero concerns.”
Hallmark dropping Lori Loughlin
Hallmark said it is cutting ties with Lori Loughlin. In a statement Thursday, the parent company of the Hallmark Channel says it was “saddened” by the recent allegations. Loughlin is a big presence for Hallmark and its Crown Media Family Networks channels that include the flagship Hallmark Channel.
Sephora ending partnership
Cosmetics company Sephora said it’s dropping its social-media relationship with Lori Loughlin’s daughter, 19-year-old Olivia Jade Giannulli. Giannulli is a social media star who frequently pushes products online.