Trying to remember. Besides LL, which individuals are fighting this?
Posters are responding to the media attention on FH and LL. If as much juicy detail had come out about other families, you know CC would be chewing on them, too.
And I think the not guilty plea by LL heightens attention on FH. Some yin and yang.
Different comment: A lot is made of, “Why didn’t you believe in me?” Doesn’t that tug the heart strings? Why? We all believe in our kids (well, most of us.) I don’t see the bribery as not believing in your kid. Rather, wanting to tilt the scales. “I can, so I will.”
I think I have written this before, but anyway, the big difference between the people involved in the admissions scandal and those whose kids are accepted because of millions in donations, is where the money went, and who benefited from it.
Ultimately, when somebody donates $5 million to a college, they are helping pay for the tuition of poor students. Ask somebody whether they would accept a small reduction in their chances of acceptance in return for the assurance that, if they were accepted, they would be able to afford tuition, and the vast majority would be OK with it. Moreover, colleges already set aside a small number of places for the kids of huge donors, so these acceptances do not really affect the chances of the vast majority of applicants.
On the other hand, when somebody pays off an SAT proctor, or pays a coach, etc, this is not benefiting any other applicants, AND they are “taking” the spot of another applicant who actually earned their scores or athletic awards. Moreover, when we’re talking about people who can afford to pay the relatively smaller bribes, we are talking about a fairly large number of applicants. Anybody in the top 1% for household wealth (over $10 million) can afford to pay $100K-$200K in addition to full tuition, so we’re talking about something like 30,000 kids every year. So this has the potential to have a considerable negative affect on almost every interested party in the system.
So, to be concise, accepting the kids of a few major donors a year has a small negative affect on the college and on other applicants, but also has a very large positive effect on the college and on other applicants. On the other hand, kids being able to be accepted because of bribes that thousands can afford has a large negative effect on the college and on other applicants, but has absolutely no positive effect on the college and on other applicants.
I find the first sentence in the case (mentioned upthread) quite light. One day! Although this bribe-acceptor sent all the money to the sailing program, not to himself. The article does say he is likely the “least culpable of all of the defendants in this case” so we shall see!
I agree with you @Mwolf. I don’t like to see people compare this case with general large donations either, for the reasons you state and also, well, donating to colleges isn’t illegal or fraud.
Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in prison. https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/felicity-huffman-sentencing-college-scandal/index.html
Lori Loughlin must be shaking with fear now!
So, that will be a week with good behavior? SMH
14 days in prison, 250 hours of community service, 1 year probation and a 30K fine.
While I def don’t advocate for she did, I don’t think a longer prison sentence is necessary. I do think she should serve all 14 days - and I think she will do that as acceptance of her punishment. I personally would like to see TONS more hours of community service required. Maybe working with much less fortunate kids doing college research, finding scholarships, etc. That would be the real lesson in her wrong.
The 30K fine seems kind of laughable for a family with a lot of cash.
Agree with you, @abasket. No need to clog our jails with this kind of stuff. A very short sentence makes sense to me but I’d like to have seen more community service/more fines.
There are definitely people in prison for more time for things which also may not seem criminal/awful/etc. I get that. But I think there is more lesson to be learned for her to have to live some life closer to the life that kids who don’t have parents with $15K to throw at a chance for a better college choice. As I said, working a school year with the junior/senior class at a average to below average income populated school.
But I do agree, Lori L. must be shaking in her shoes.
Sending her to prison is the only thing that will send a message to these wealthy families trying to cheat the system. They can pay huge fines and do countless hours of community service but serving jail time will get their attention. I hope LL goes for a long time and is a wake up call to anyone considering cheating the system.
There are probably thousands of people who serve much longer sentences for being caught with a joint or stealing a can of soup. Not white women, I guess.
I’m not okay with that either. Short sentences to give them a taste and a wakeup call but our prisons are way too clogged.
There are ways around “prison sentences” that are not really a dose of hardship. Better prisons, better prison accomodations, etc. We have all seen that before.
But 14 days x 24 hours of community service time with kids who would give their left arm to have the chance to cross any barriers to attend A college - that might be more of an awakening and penance.
My question is, a real prison or one of the country club sorts with tennis courts, etc. Isuspect the “comm svc” will be light work, the sort celebs already do.
Apparently, Lori L is looking at a potential sentence of 40 years… Pleaded not guilty… her misdeeds were waaaay more serious.
When is Lori L to be sentenced? Or will there be a trial first, since she pleaded not guilty?
Need a trial first.
The social media memes comparing Huffman to poor or homeless mothers getting greater sentences for using false addresses to enroll their kids in school have been popping up.
Isn’t it plead, not pleaded?