Absolutely - I totally agree with @twoinanddone and @vpa2019! Schools should be able to admit whoever they want (at least private schools should, public schools are perhaps a different story if they are funded by taxpayer money). Who gets to define what is meritorious and deserving of admissions is the issue. What I see is that people have their own definition of what is meritorious and object if the schools’ admissions policy doesn’t line up with their definition. Otherwise, why would there be so much objection to the admission of athletes? The schools in question have identified that athletic skills (and the hard work and dedication that went into building those skills) are deserving of admission. Complaints are from people who disagree and think that only academics or tests scores should count as meritorious. So great, those people can go ahead and start their own schools and then they can admit whoever they want based on their definition of meritorious 
But I also agree with others that however reprehensible the behavior of the parents involved in varsity blues, I’ve always taught my kids too that “life is not fair” and you should focus on the things that are within your control.