1 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace Breaking news this morning. Celebrities 2 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: and chief executives are among fifty people arrested in a 3 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:21,319 Speaker 1: nationwide college admissions cheating scam. They allegedly paid bribes of 4 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 1: up to six million dollars to get their kids into 5 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: elite colleges. ABC's Aaron Katarski has the latest. Good Morning 6 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: to you, A Byron, good morning to you. This is 7 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: just an incredible scheme that is being prosecuted out of Boston, 8 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: where court records have just been unsealed, naming dozens of actresses, 9 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 1: business leaders, and other parents who allegedly paid bribes of 10 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: thousands up to millions of dollars to get their kids 11 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: into Yale or Stamford or Georgetown or other prominent universities. 12 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,639 Speaker 1: In a way, Byron, this scheme seems to confirm the 13 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: worst suspicions of those a little bit jaded by the 14 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: college admiss process who think it's maybe rigged toward those 15 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: with money. Federal prosecutors say these bribes were paid to 16 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:10,399 Speaker 1: a college admissions coach in California who was also under arrest, 17 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: and then he would in turn payoff college athletic coach 18 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 1: to dummy up a scholarship or to pay off an 19 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: SAT administrator to fake test scores. Wow, you are hearing 20 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: from our friends at ABC. That was Eron Katurski and 21 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: Byron Pitts talking about a bombshell in the last hours. 22 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: As you all know by now, high profile actresses across 23 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:36,760 Speaker 1: Hollywood have been charged along with one of their husbands 24 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: and cheating. That's what it boils down to, a massive 25 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: college cheating scandal. And I just want to start off 26 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: with this. I remember when I got accepted to Mercy 27 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: University Law School and I opened up the letter and 28 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: I got down on my knees in the driveway in 29 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: the ravel and I thanked God that I had gotten 30 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:09,119 Speaker 1: into law school. And I just remember that moment right now. 31 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 1: I cried. I was so grateful because having been a 32 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: crime victim after the murder of my fiancee, all I 33 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: wanted to do was be a prosecutor. It took me 34 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: seven years from that point on to get into a 35 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: felony prosecution District Attorney's office, and that admission meant the 36 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: world for me. And guess who was my recommendation. It 37 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:36,959 Speaker 1: was not somebody my parents paid five hundred thousand dollars 38 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 1: to they've never seen five hundred thousand dollars in their life. 39 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 1: It was my Sunday school teacher, Jeanette Johnson. She wrote 40 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: my recommendation from me to get into law school. I mean, see, Grace, 41 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: this is crime stories. Thank you for being with us. 42 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 1: This is not a moral issue, or maybe it is 43 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: a moral issue and a crime. Because I'm in the 44 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 1: business of being the church lady. Morality is up to you. 45 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: That's between you and your maker. This is about an 46 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: alleged prime, a series of crimes joining me, a high 47 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: profile and all star lineup. First of all with me. 48 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: Jennifer Brovost, co founder of nype S New York PAS, 49 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: New York Private Education Advisory Service. Wow, that's a mouthful. 50 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: She helps parents place their children in the very best schools. 51 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: And I need to talk to you about John, David 52 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: and Lucy. Of course they're only in the fifth grade, 53 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: but there's it's never too soon. Jennifer Mark Jerome Athletic 54 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: consultant Jerome and athletic consultant who guides students interested in 55 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: playing varsity in college sports. Well, my son broke his 56 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: foot last night, so I guess soccer scholarships out of 57 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: the question. Thank you for being with us. Doctor Kim Metcalfe, 58 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: author of Let's Build Extraordinary Youth Together. Doctor Metcalfe has 59 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: a doctorate degree in educational development psychology. Another mouthful, and 60 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: I'm impressed. I don't know what it means, doctor Metcalfe, 61 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: but I'm impressed. David Max, indicated talk show host and 62 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 1: also joining me Ashley Wilcot, judge lawyer. You can find 63 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: her at Ashley Wilcot dot com. Dave Mack, I'm stunned 64 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: the thought of my favorite and don't judge me. I 65 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: watch Charlie any TV, but on Sunday nights, I would 66 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:26,360 Speaker 1: take one hour and watch Desperate Housewife. I just couldn't 67 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: wait to see who's gonna get killed next. It was 68 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 1: awesome to find out, Dave Mac, that Felicity Huffman, who 69 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: we all love and we feel like we know her, 70 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: along with Laurie Laughlin, who has a squeaky clean image, 71 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 1: is charged with paying thousands and thousands of dollars to 72 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: get their kids in nice schools. What happened, Dave, mat 73 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 1: Just start at the beginning, very beginning, Nancy. Is these 74 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: high profile people that we think we know from TV. 75 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: Their parents just like the rest of us, and they 76 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 1: all go through the same stresses and strains when their 77 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 1: kids are applying for college. In the cases, we're not 78 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 1: talking about children that are not, are you kidding? What 79 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,599 Speaker 1: about just regular grade school? For Pete's sake. I freak 80 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:10,159 Speaker 1: out every time they have a project. I will never 81 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 1: forget dressing John David as Albert Einstein and Lucy as 82 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: Anne Frank Okay, and working over and over and over 83 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: on their delivery of their little speeches. So you know 84 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: it starts a long time before college. Well you're worry 85 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 1: about that guy, Okay. If you've ever seen the Adam 86 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:30,040 Speaker 1: Sandler movie Billy Madison, that's what we're dealing with too 87 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: a large degree. But all of this started with a 88 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: former high school basketball coach who was fired in nineteen 89 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:39,039 Speaker 1: eighty eight, coached on an assistant level in junior College's 90 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: name is William Rick Singer. He's the guy who actually 91 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 1: wrote a book called Getting in Gaining Admission to the 92 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: College of your Choice. Now, in that book, I dare 93 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: say he didn't say, pay me a lot of money 94 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: and I'll bribe people to accept your child who's not 95 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: good enough to get into this college. But that's exactly 96 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: what he did. He actually began this company in two 97 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 1: thousand and seven called the Edge College and Career Network, 98 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,280 Speaker 1: later known as the Key. He incorporated in twenty and 99 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 1: twelve and it since that day. The actually twenty eleven, 100 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 1: two thousand and twelve year where he actually is accused 101 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:11,720 Speaker 1: of starting the idea that you pay him and he 102 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: will help orchestrate your child going from high school into college. 103 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: Was well, that's certainly putting perfume on the pig orchestrate. 104 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: Ashley Wilcott trial lawyer and judge. Ashley's more like bribes 105 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: according to the prosecution. And this guy, William Rick Singer 106 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 1: apparently wore a wire and recorded all these phone calls, 107 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: handed over emails. And of course, if this ever goes 108 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 1: to a jury trial, which I doubt, he will be 109 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:42,679 Speaker 1: viewed as a rat by the jury. Will that hurt, Yes, 110 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: but it won't change the evidence. Ashley Wilcott, I mean orchestrating, 111 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 1: more like bribing, according to the prosecution, bribing coaches, admissions, people, 112 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 1: all sorts of people. That's right. So people may not 113 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: like that he wore a wire. They may think poorly 114 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:00,279 Speaker 1: of him for doing that, but the reality as the 115 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: prosecution is based on evidence that they anticipate being able 116 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 1: to present, and the evidence is that, yes, these people 117 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 1: paid the children's way into college, that they bribe the 118 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: college to admit their children who may not have been 119 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: qualified and met the qualifications to get into that school, 120 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: but get in because their parents paid a lot of money. 121 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: I want to go to our guest this morning, Jennifer Brovo's, 122 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 1: co founder of NYPS, New York Private Education Advisory Service, 123 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: helps Paris place their children the very best schools they can. Jennifer, 124 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 1: when I first read this about Felicity Huffman and Laurie Laughlin, 125 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 1: I actually was torn. And you know what a hard 126 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: liner I am about crime because as a mom, I 127 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: would do almost anything to help my children just advance 128 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 1: a tiny bit forward. I don't care about their prestige 129 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 1: or if they are going to make a lot of 130 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: money one day. I care about life being easier for 131 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: them than it was for me. You know how hard 132 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: I had to work to get into NYU to get 133 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 1: my LLM and Constitutional and criminal law. After I managed 134 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: to worm my way in at Mercer, it was hard. 135 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: I'd work really hard to get into NYU and beat 136 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: out thousands and thousands of other people. I had no 137 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: idea you could just pay somebody off. I know, But Nancy, 138 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,840 Speaker 1: look at what these parents are actually teaching their children. 139 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: Look at what they're showing them. The kind of adults? 140 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: Is this the kind of adults that we want to raise, lying, cheating, 141 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:37,599 Speaker 1: a moral adults? I mean, college admissions is about teenagers 142 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 1: finding themselves, finding the right fit, discovering schools that speak 143 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: to their passions. And let me just say something. The 144 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 1: best school for a kid is not necessarily one of 145 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 1: these like four or five high profile names. A kid 146 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:56,200 Speaker 1: gets into one of these schools, they have to be 147 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: able to perform, they have to be able to stay there. 148 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 1: There are so many any colleges that have wonderful programs, 149 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: wonderful seeing that different child. It's not just about these 150 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 1: four or five different colleges, and these parents are not 151 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,319 Speaker 1: doing their kids any favors in life. This case is 152 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 1: about the widening corruption of elite college admissions through the 153 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 1: steady application of wealth combined with fraud. There can be 154 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: no separate college admission system for the wealthy. And they'll 155 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:29,840 Speaker 1: add that there will not be a separate criminal justice 156 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 1: system either. Every year hundreds of thousands of hard working, 157 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: talented students strive for admission to elite schools. As every 158 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,680 Speaker 1: parent knows, these students work harder and harder every year 159 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 1: in a system that appears to grow more and more 160 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,960 Speaker 1: competitive every year. And that system is a zero sum game. 161 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 1: For every student admitted through fraud, an honest, genuinely talented 162 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 1: student was rejected. Wow, you are hearing the Massachusetts US 163 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: Attorney Andrew talking about a widening fraud scam, bribery, cheating, extoration. 164 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: Five hundred thousand dollars paid to get two children into 165 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: elite schools, and I was just talking. Let me go 166 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 1: to doctor Kim Metcalfe, author of Let's Build Extraordinary Youth Together. 167 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: Doctor Metcalfe has a doctorate degree in educational developmental psychology. 168 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 1: With me also Mark Jerome, athletic consultant who guide students 169 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: interested in playing varsity in college sports. We know that 170 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: was part of this scam as well. Coaches allegedly paid 171 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 1: off four kids to get fake spots on teams at school. 172 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: They never showed up for practice or faked in injury, 173 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: but they got into school. And Jennifer Brovos, the founder 174 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: of New York Peas, New York Private Education advisory Service, 175 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 1: Dave Mack, syndicated talk show host, and Ashley Wilcott lawyer 176 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: and judge doctor Metcalfe what I was saying earlier, and 177 00:10:57,080 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 1: I don't think I was saying it very well. I 178 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 1: bet you and Mark Jerome and Jennifer Brovos can say 179 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 1: a lot better. But I remember working three jobs during 180 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 1: law school and Laurie View, which is a job in itself, 181 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: and trying to make good grades, and trying to pass 182 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 1: the bar, and trying to afford prep classes for the bar, 183 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: and my books. One time almost cried. I didn't because 184 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: I thought the check was going to bounce for the 185 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: books because my student loan, which I'd paid off, didn't 186 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: quite cover everything. And I don't want that from my children. 187 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:34,559 Speaker 1: I want to give them every advantage I can, everything, 188 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 1: so they won't have to do what I had to do, 189 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: just like my parents. My mom would go out and 190 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:44,600 Speaker 1: pick pecans and turnips and bag them up in a 191 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 1: string from my grandfather to put on the back of 192 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,679 Speaker 1: a truck and sell at the farmer's market. And some 193 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: anonymous donor sent her through twelve years of music classes 194 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:59,559 Speaker 1: culminating at the first college for women in the world, 195 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: Wesley College. So we had to work for it. I 196 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: don't want my children to work that hard, doctor Metcalfe. 197 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 1: But bribing and cheating. What if my children found out 198 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: I bribed and cheated people to get them into school. Well, 199 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: your main goal as a parent is to make sure 200 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: that your kids are resilient and they can make it 201 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 1: through the ups and downs in life. And the truth 202 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: is that if you don't qualify on your own merit 203 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 1: to get into a college, and your parents pay. And 204 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: I understand that some of the kids were in on 205 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 1: the scam, I'm not and some of them didn't know 206 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:39,680 Speaker 1: about it, so I'm not really certain of you know, 207 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: if there were really kids in on the scams. But 208 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,720 Speaker 1: if you want your children to be able to go 209 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: through the long haul in life, in which they're going 210 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: to have lots of disappointments, then you have to let 211 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: them face certain situations that are very, very trying. Because 212 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:05,400 Speaker 1: you get them to persist, you're building emotional skills in them. So, 213 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: I mean, I've been following you for a long time, Nacy, 214 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: and when the twins were first born. Actually, I just 215 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 1: want to apologize for everything I've done wrong right up front. 216 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 1: I don't know if one apology can cover at all. Yeah, 217 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:20,560 Speaker 1: the twins are just the world to me, and I 218 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 1: don't want them to have to work as hard as 219 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: I did and my mom and dad did. But you 220 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: do want them to succeed in life. You do want 221 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 1: them to grow up to be productive, ethical human beings 222 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: that have a strong moral compass, who can ride the 223 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 1: bumps in life and come out unscathed or even stronger 224 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 1: than before they hit the bump. Resilience is the name 225 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: of the game. I would just be so afraid I 226 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: get busted and be humiliated in front of my children. 227 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 1: To Mark Jerome, athletic consultant, he guides students interested in 228 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 1: varsity college sports in every aspect they need to know 229 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:00,840 Speaker 1: to continue playing, as well as being in the quote 230 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 1: right school for them. I remember when my sister, who 231 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: was valedictorian, she majored in oh, let's see accounting, with 232 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:14,119 Speaker 1: also a double major in German and a specialty in chemistry. 233 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 1: Let's just say she's brilliant. I remember when she got 234 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: into the Wharton School and she went on to be 235 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: the first woman on tenure track teaching at Wharton in 236 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 1: risk management insurance. We were so proud because nothing like 237 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: that had ever happened to our family ever. My father 238 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 1: would just cry when he would tell people. We were 239 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: just so proud. They never finished college and had a 240 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 1: hard scrabble life and this was just the you know, 241 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 1: the ultimate, Mark Jerome, You and Jennifer and doctor Metcalfe 242 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 1: have had to have seen parents just like this, willing 243 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 1: to do anything, even break the law. How did the 244 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 1: scam work? To your understanding, you're the athletic consultant, because 245 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 1: from what I'm learning, they would There's actually been one 246 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 1: coach I think it was a crew coach somewhere that 247 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: has been fired already, a female coach. But how do 248 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 1: you how does this work in this scam? How would 249 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: it work? Mark Jerome? Well, I want to I want 250 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 1: to go back something just you resurrected some of my 251 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 1: feelings and thoughts about me receiving when you talked about 252 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 1: yourself getting into law school. When I received my scholarship 253 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 1: offer to play college basketball, and it was such an 254 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 1: incredible great feeling because I had worked so hard, and 255 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: I remember my son recently getting a college scholarship to 256 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 1: a college to a Division one college basketball for a 257 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 1: Division one college basketball at a prominent school. And I 258 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 1: when I got the form with the coach, I screamed, jumped, cried. 259 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 1: It was like I hit the lotto. So I completely 260 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: get those feelings that you have and your sister had. 261 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: As my understanding is, several coaches are either have been 262 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 1: fired or on paid lee or on leave right now, 263 00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 1: and it sounds like I understand the form well now. 264 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: The former Yale women's soccer coach received four hundred thousand 265 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 1: dollars from Singer after he took I guess Singer paid 266 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: paid the YA soccer coach four tow thousand after he 267 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:14,080 Speaker 1: took one point two million from a family, and he 268 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: distributed to this soccer coach and possibly among other others 269 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: as well. So but this has been going on for 270 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:22,480 Speaker 1: a while. And also it doesn't just start at the 271 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: college level. It starts at young ages. And I think 272 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: there's a trend amongst very wealthy people where they want 273 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: to be so protective of their kids and where they're 274 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: the status is so important and valuable to them that 275 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 1: they're willing to do anything and everything to say that 276 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: my kid goes to Princeton, or my kid goes to Harvard, 277 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: or my kid goes to whatever prominent school that they 278 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: want to push for their kids to attend. And deft Mark, 279 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 1: Mark Ye, doctor Kim Metcalfe, Jennifer Brovos, Dave mack ashe Willcott. 280 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 1: If you can buy your way into a school, I mean, 281 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: what good is it? What good is the school? What 282 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 1: good is the system? If? How could the school not 283 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 1: know about this? How could o? How could they get 284 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 1: somebody in on a crew scholarship? And then repeatedly, over 285 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:15,680 Speaker 1: and over, people don't show up, they drop out of crew, 286 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 1: they fake an injury. Doesn't anybody notice a pattern? Mark 287 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:23,199 Speaker 1: after a certain point. They're different methods in different schools 288 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: have different policies. So for an Ivy League school, there 289 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 1: are no scholarships, no athletic scholarships, So you can have 290 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:34,120 Speaker 1: your your roster can be as large as you want. 291 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:35,920 Speaker 1: And if somebody decides I got into the school and 292 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 1: drops off the team, who cares an So they're also 293 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:43,960 Speaker 1: some schools also have walk on spots. There was a 294 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: big story yesterday that broke out. I don't know how big. 295 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 1: The story is a former pencil University of penn coach 296 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:52,840 Speaker 1: was fired, but during a couple of years ago, during 297 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: his reign at U Pennon, he was a former player 298 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,919 Speaker 1: there as well, former standout player. He was a key 299 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,119 Speaker 1: I think I believe he accepted three hundred thousand dollars 300 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 1: and cash to recruit a kid that wasn't qualified to 301 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:09,119 Speaker 1: be on the end of the bench. And so when 302 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 1: the kid got there, he wasn't qualified to play. He 303 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 1: was either let go of the team or he resigned, 304 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:16,399 Speaker 1: but it didn't matter because the kid was already in 305 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:35,160 Speaker 1: the school crime stories with Nancy Grace, we're here today 306 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 1: to announce charges in the largest college admissions scam ever 307 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:43,399 Speaker 1: prosecuted by the Department of Justice. We've charged fifty people 308 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 1: nationwide with participating in a conspiracy that involved first cheating 309 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:53,120 Speaker 1: on college entrance exams, meaning the SAT and the ACT, 310 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 1: and second securing admission to elite colleges by bribing coaches 311 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:02,760 Speaker 1: at those schools to xcept certain students under false pretenses. 312 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:06,879 Speaker 1: In return for bribes, these coaches agreed to pretend that 313 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:11,919 Speaker 1: certain applicants were recruited competitive athletes, when in fact the 314 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: applicants were not. As the coaches knew the students athletic 315 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 1: credentials had been fabricated bribes totaling twenty five million dollars. 316 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 1: And let me just confess. Before I was a state 317 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 1: prosecutor felony crimes, I was a FED. I was a 318 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: FED for three years, one year as a judicial law 319 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 1: clerk in the Federal court, and two years doing antitrust 320 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:38,119 Speaker 1: and consumer protection with the Federal Trade Commission. Let me 321 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 1: tell you something. The Feds don't play. They will not 322 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: It used to drive me insane. They will not move 323 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: on a case until they have about a room full 324 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 1: of paper proving the case, which will bore a jury 325 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:57,160 Speaker 1: out of their skull, but it proves the case. They 326 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:02,199 Speaker 1: will have everybody wired, They will have photos from a satellite. 327 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 1: For Pete's sake, they got it all. When the Feds 328 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 1: come after you, you know what, you might as well 329 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,680 Speaker 1: just lay down and play Doormatt. It's over. And here's 330 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:13,680 Speaker 1: the other thing, Dave Matt. Isn't it true that when 331 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:17,120 Speaker 1: they arrested Felicity Huffman, everybody in the house was asleep, 332 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: her and her husband, who's also a famous star movie star. 333 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 1: As a matter of fact, the two girls are there 334 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:26,639 Speaker 1: and they came bamming on the door and pulled their guns. 335 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 1: Is this true, Dave matt Yes, ma'am. Six o'clock in 336 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 1: the morning, and they woke up the entire house. As 337 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: you said. William H. Mathey is Felicity Huffman's husband. He 338 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,240 Speaker 1: and the girls were both asleep. Felicity Huffman comes downstairs. 339 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 1: They were aware this was coming down, but they didn't 340 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:42,199 Speaker 1: know that the Feds were going to show up at 341 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 1: their door with guns drawn. Now, they did this all 342 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 1: throughout when they were serving these arrestaurants, and the FED 343 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 1: showed there are six that showed up at Felicity Huffman's 344 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:54,439 Speaker 1: house guns drawn, greeted her at the door, you know, 345 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 1: and pulled the felony stock Well, I don't know that 346 00:20:56,800 --> 00:21:00,159 Speaker 1: I would say greeted her. Yeah. Ash Wilcott Law or 347 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:03,639 Speaker 1: a judge at Ashley Wilcott dot com. Ashley, you're in 348 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 1: the middle of getting your children into vary schools. You've 349 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 1: got three plus a rabbit, and I don't know how 350 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:11,640 Speaker 1: many other animals are living at that house, but that's 351 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: a whole nother can of worms. I really don't have 352 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 1: a leg to stand on with a cat, a dog, 353 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 1: and two guinea pigs plus my mother. So there's a 354 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:22,680 Speaker 1: lot happening in our houses. But here's a deal, Ashley. 355 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:27,080 Speaker 1: You're a judge, you know the deal. If they arrested 356 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:29,720 Speaker 1: everybody else in the same manner and did not have 357 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: their guns with Felicity Huffman's house, they would have been 358 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:37,280 Speaker 1: trashed for preferential treatment. You know that right, So, yes, 359 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 1: it seems like overkill, but you have to treat everybody 360 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 1: the same way, and really that's what this prosecution is 361 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 1: all about, I think, Ashley. Absolutely, they have to treat 362 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 1: everyone in the same way. First of all, fifty people 363 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:52,800 Speaker 1: have been named. They're probably more out there who haven't 364 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 1: been identified. Number one, excuse me. Number two. Here's the 365 00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:00,000 Speaker 1: thing I question though, did they really have their guns 366 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:03,120 Speaker 1: on with all fifty? Did they really? If they did, 367 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: then it should have been in this case. But I 368 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 1: would submit, is that really the way that it's handled 369 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 1: when they arrest or do they start peacefully? Well? I 370 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:14,400 Speaker 1: can answer that. Let me q and A with myself 371 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:19,359 Speaker 1: for a moment. Yes, because when you are going into 372 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:21,879 Speaker 1: a home, you don't know what's going to happen. You 373 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:23,719 Speaker 1: don't know if somebody in there is going to mistake 374 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,160 Speaker 1: you for a burglar and shoot you dead. You don't 375 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,159 Speaker 1: know what's going to happen. I remember in my first 376 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:33,439 Speaker 1: year as a felony prosecutor, I befriended a copy just 377 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:38,840 Speaker 1: got married Schipanni. He pulled over a kid for a 378 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:44,720 Speaker 1: traffic violation. The kid shot him in the face dead. Bam. 379 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 1: You never know what's going to happen. I remember my investigator, 380 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 1: Earnest grabbing, grabbing me by the shoulders, and both of 381 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:58,000 Speaker 1: us diving off of a porch because we were delivering 382 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 1: subpoenas in a triple murder case and we knocked on 383 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:05,640 Speaker 1: the door. He saw it first. I saw it second, 384 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: the barrel of a shotgun pointing right at us through 385 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 1: a screen door. It was bright on the outside and 386 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:16,800 Speaker 1: dark on the inside. Yeah, it happens, you darn right, 387 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 1: that's how that goes. But you know, we're talking about 388 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:25,320 Speaker 1: hundreds of thousands of dollars, And when I think about 389 00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: all the people I've tried to help get scholarships and 390 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: get placed, and here, basically you could just pay it off. 391 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:39,560 Speaker 1: One person accused of five hundred thousand dollars payoffs not 392 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:45,360 Speaker 1: Felicity Huffman. I noticed that her husband has not been charged, 393 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: but she has interesting to Jennifer Brovo's co founder of 394 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 1: New York peas New York Private Education Advisory Service. What 395 00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:55,400 Speaker 1: do you tell parents when they're like out of their 396 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:59,159 Speaker 1: mind to get their child in the most elite school 397 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: and they're willing to do anything, even break the law 398 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:07,120 Speaker 1: to get it done. Well, my company does not work 399 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:09,480 Speaker 1: with families who want to break the law. I mean, 400 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: that's not something that we do. I definitely encourage families 401 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: who want to go to specific schools to have their 402 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:23,359 Speaker 1: kids do things that might make them look better in 403 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: their applications. I work with kids to help them if 404 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:30,840 Speaker 1: they need help on their college essays. I encourage them 405 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:35,360 Speaker 1: to apply to different colleges. Maybe they have early decision, 406 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:37,879 Speaker 1: which really gives you a leg up if you apply 407 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 1: to a college early decision or early action. But it's true, 408 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 1: families are frantic. Parents will do anything to get their 409 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: kids into these schools. But you know, the kinds of 410 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: things that these people did, or they're just so unethical 411 00:24:56,160 --> 00:25:01,320 Speaker 1: and immoral and really pretty disgusting that it's just not 412 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:06,960 Speaker 1: how we work and it's just not something that we encourage. 413 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:09,200 Speaker 1: I guess you have to talk a lot of parents 414 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: off the lane, off the ledge, because they'll basically try anything. 415 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 1: You know. We now know that one coach at Yale 416 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: has already been fired. Listen. In one example, the head 417 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:29,800 Speaker 1: women's soccer coach at Yale, in exchange for four hundred 418 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:33,359 Speaker 1: thousand dollars, accepted an applicant as a recruit for the 419 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:37,159 Speaker 1: Yale women's team, despite knowing that the applicant did not 420 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:41,360 Speaker 1: even play competitive soccer. The student was in fact admitted, 421 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 1: and afterward the students family paid Singer one point two 422 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:49,919 Speaker 1: million dollars for that service. In addition to the standardized 423 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:53,719 Speaker 1: test scam and the college admission scam, Singer also arranged 424 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:57,720 Speaker 1: for someone to take online high school classes in place 425 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 1: of certain students so that those students could submit higher 426 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 1: grades as part of their overall college application pack. And 427 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 1: that's just the tip of the Iceberg Ashley Wilcot, judge 428 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: and lawyer and anchor way in, here's what I want 429 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:14,199 Speaker 1: to say, Nancy. Yes, parents do anything for their children. 430 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:16,920 Speaker 1: If they're good parents, you do anything for your children. 431 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:19,920 Speaker 1: I do anything for my children, but not without integrity. 432 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:22,919 Speaker 1: So there's the line. Right A. Parents should do anything 433 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:26,199 Speaker 1: for their children as long as they have integrity. It 434 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:29,400 Speaker 1: doesn't mean cheating, it doesn't mean bribing, it doesn't mean 435 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 1: I've got money, so I'm going to pay to get 436 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:33,360 Speaker 1: them in where i want to get them in. That 437 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: is not good parenting, you know. Felicity Hufman starting the 438 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:42,679 Speaker 1: ABC hit series Desperate Housewives, and Lauthlin aunt Becky in 439 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 1: Full House and now Fuller House now facing charges of 440 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:52,480 Speaker 1: conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest Services mail fraud. 441 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: I'm telling you it's hard to beat that in court. 442 00:26:56,119 --> 00:27:00,280 Speaker 1: It's really hard. Who else has been charged, Dave, and 443 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:03,679 Speaker 1: I understand that in one of these cases, a procter 444 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:08,080 Speaker 1: or somebody who administers the SAT was paid to go 445 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 1: in and correct Felicity Huffman's daughter's test, and that put 446 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 1: in and correct to put all the answers. And then 447 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:18,800 Speaker 1: in the other case, the mom paid five hundred thousand 448 00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:22,879 Speaker 1: dollars to get her kids in school. What well, you know, 449 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:24,680 Speaker 1: when you look at what you were just talking about 450 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:29,439 Speaker 1: with Felicity Huffman's SAT or act, they actually she scored 451 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:31,719 Speaker 1: over a thousand on the first time she took it. 452 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 1: That wasn't high enough, so they went and paid this 453 00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:37,960 Speaker 1: proctor to give her an additional time in taking the test, 454 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:41,719 Speaker 1: and then after she left, the proctor actually corrected the 455 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:44,560 Speaker 1: answers so that she improved her score to over fourteen 456 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,560 Speaker 1: hundred on the SAT. Those are the types of people 457 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:49,359 Speaker 1: were talking about, and there were four of those in 458 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 1: that first fifty four people who were actually administered. They're 459 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:57,920 Speaker 1: called proctors, those who actually overview the SAT and ACT testing. 460 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,600 Speaker 1: They're accused of taking money to change scores, to change 461 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:05,000 Speaker 1: answers rather on those tests. The others that are involved 462 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:08,159 Speaker 1: in this again the coaches who actually said that different 463 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 1: young individuals were being recruited for sports because athletes have 464 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:15,800 Speaker 1: lower requirements for getting into these colleges, which is again 465 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 1: something to talk about. They can get much lower ACT 466 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:22,239 Speaker 1: or SAT scores, they can get much lower GPAs and 467 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:25,840 Speaker 1: be admitted as athletes. That's why these coaches, in particular 468 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:28,560 Speaker 1: the crew coach at USC, that's why you've got a 469 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:33,000 Speaker 1: problem there. We're still waiting because according to what I'm seeing, Nancy, 470 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:34,720 Speaker 1: there's going to be a number of other high high 471 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 1: profile people, not necessarily actors and actresses, but a number 472 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:41,640 Speaker 1: of rich business people who again they see their own 473 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:45,080 Speaker 1: success through their children and are willing to throw character 474 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 1: out the window, and it's shocking. I had three kids 475 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 1: in college at the same time, Nancy, and all the 476 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 1: way through. Our whole goal was make sure you know 477 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:56,479 Speaker 1: why you're there, what you want to get out of it, 478 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 1: because this is your life, not mine. The head sailing 479 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: coaches Stanford University at federal court on his way to 480 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:06,960 Speaker 1: plead guilty to charges in a bombshell college admissions cheating scandal. 481 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 1: Federal prosecutors say fifty people, including Hollywood actresses and college coaches, 482 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:15,200 Speaker 1: are charged in what's being billed as the biggest college 483 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: admissions cheating scandal they've ever seen. They say wealthy people 484 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:21,960 Speaker 1: spent millions to rate the system so their kids could 485 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 1: get into elite colleges and universities. There can be no 486 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 1: separate college admissions system for the wealthy, and they'll add 487 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 1: that there will not be a separate criminal justice system either. 488 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 1: Federal agents arrested dozens in an operation they called Varsity Blues, 489 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 1: involving many elite colleges, including Georgetown, Stanford, UCLA, University of 490 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:47,640 Speaker 1: San Diego, University of Southern California, the University of Texas 491 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:51,280 Speaker 1: at Austin, wake Forest, and Yale oh Man that's like 492 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 1: a dag or two. My heart. Those are schools that 493 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:58,840 Speaker 1: I dream of one day my twins getting into, but 494 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:02,480 Speaker 1: I can't afford five hundred thousand dollars to pay people 495 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 1: off to get them in. I'm Nancy Grace. This is 496 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:07,720 Speaker 1: Crime Stories, and you were just listening to our friend 497 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: Sherman Zacchetti at WHDHTV reporting from Boston on a major, 498 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:19,640 Speaker 1: major legal bombshell right now, over fifty people involved, but 499 00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 1: the net is widening with me. Jennifer Brovos to Mark Jerome, 500 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:28,000 Speaker 1: doctor Kim Metcalfe, Dave Mack, Ashley Wilcott to Mark Jerome, 501 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 1: renowned athletic consultant guiding students interested in playing college sports. 502 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:38,480 Speaker 1: Now I get it, Okay, they didn't all also say 503 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:44,040 Speaker 1: their child was an athlete and they weren't trying for scholarships. 504 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:47,920 Speaker 1: Some were just paying off admissions according to the FEDS. 505 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 1: Others were saying, well, my child is in crew, so 506 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 1: that gives them an added edge to get in, not 507 00:30:55,320 --> 00:31:00,720 Speaker 1: necessarily a scholarship. So, Mark Jerome, we just heard that 508 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:04,960 Speaker 1: a coach at Yale has been fired. How would it work? 509 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,479 Speaker 1: I mean, so Rick Singer, the mastermind of all this 510 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:11,680 Speaker 1: who later wore a wire to ensnare all of these 511 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 1: moms and dads. What would he go to the coach instead? 512 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:19,120 Speaker 1: I've got a great kid. I'll make it worth your while. 513 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:21,800 Speaker 1: I mean, I could just hear it playing out, Mark Jerome. 514 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: I'm not privy to all the details how this went down, 515 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:29,760 Speaker 1: but based on information I've had in the past or 516 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:32,560 Speaker 1: other stories I've heard, it really does start. It goes 517 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:35,480 Speaker 1: way beyond. It starts earlier than the incology, starts in 518 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 1: high school. Starts in middle school where parents pay to 519 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:41,760 Speaker 1: have their kids play on certain teams on certain high 520 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:46,320 Speaker 1: level or high with lots of exposure on youth teams 521 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 1: that travel around just again for the status, without any integrity, 522 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 1: and what happens to the kids when they fail. So 523 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:58,160 Speaker 1: I don't know how everything with the processes. I mean, 524 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:01,920 Speaker 1: I know that you have helped steer people as a 525 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 1: consultant to get on a team at a school, to 526 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 1: say you would probably qualify for this school or this 527 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 1: team or that team. And I'm sure you taught to coaches. 528 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:15,240 Speaker 1: I mean, I wonder how they smell out a coach 529 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 1: that's willing to take a bribe. That's a big bribe. 530 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:23,760 Speaker 1: Four hundred thousand dollars. That is a lot of money, 531 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:28,280 Speaker 1: you know, Mark, Jerome, don't judge me, but there's always 532 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:31,880 Speaker 1: a butt, right. My children both play soccer. My son, oh, 533 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 1: he had a head injury when he was about three, 534 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 1: so I don't want him to play football. The other 535 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:39,960 Speaker 1: day he threw a football in the front yard. My 536 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:43,800 Speaker 1: heart hurt. He has an arm like a bullet. But 537 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 1: it's not worth another head injury. So he plays soccer. 538 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:52,880 Speaker 1: No head injury. She plays soccer. He plays basketball. And 539 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,640 Speaker 1: my husband was all freaked out about missing a practice. 540 00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 1: I'm like, it's not like they're getting a scholarship, David. 541 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,680 Speaker 1: It's not either play in the World Cup next week 542 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:06,080 Speaker 1: for Pete's sake. It's local peewee soccer, all right, It's 543 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 1: just so they get exercise and run around. What is 544 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:11,520 Speaker 1: that the wrong attitude? I'm smiling, eared, Mark, this is 545 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:14,280 Speaker 1: for you. I'm smiling ear to ear listening to you, 546 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:17,360 Speaker 1: listen to the to the in hopes of the domestic battle. 547 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:20,640 Speaker 1: About the intensity and the level of intensity and commitment. 548 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:23,480 Speaker 1: Young kids should be having two sports at such a 549 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 1: young age. And I go through this question almost every 550 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 1: day from parents, and I don't and also the questions 551 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:34,240 Speaker 1: become should kids be doing committed to one sport? But 552 00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 1: it starts early. It's so competitive. It's incredibly competitive, just 553 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 1: as trying to get into any school is so competitive. 554 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:44,520 Speaker 1: It's scholarships are combetive because they're so few of them. 555 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:48,959 Speaker 1: So what's at stake is so huge and so large. 556 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:53,040 Speaker 1: The people are willing to do anything so well, Some 557 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:55,680 Speaker 1: people are willing to do anything, including compromising any type 558 00:33:55,680 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 1: of integrity, to help get their kids into schools. And listen, 559 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 1: my kids started when they were very young. I pushed 560 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:06,760 Speaker 1: them hard when they were young. I think you are judged. 561 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:12,279 Speaker 1: I think you're judging me because I'm serious about peewee soccer. Yes, 562 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:17,520 Speaker 1: I hear it. It's just oozing from every word. I'm 563 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,840 Speaker 1: not laugh ha ha ha. Your kid will be like 564 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:24,360 Speaker 1: it Stanford on some team, and mine will be in 565 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:27,879 Speaker 1: a local community college eking it out, hoping he makes 566 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:32,279 Speaker 1: to be um Dave Mexi, syndicated talk show host, Let 567 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:36,280 Speaker 1: me ask you a question. What exactly are the allegations 568 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:41,400 Speaker 1: against the two actresses um Well with regard to Felicity Huffman, 569 00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:46,320 Speaker 1: she's accused of giving this William Ricks Singer fifteen thousand 570 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:50,800 Speaker 1: dollars to pay a proctor to a just the SAT 571 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:55,160 Speaker 1: score of her daughter, which went from a ten to 572 00:34:55,239 --> 00:34:58,560 Speaker 1: twenty score to a fourteen twenty score. The charges against 573 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:01,560 Speaker 1: Lorie Laughlin a little more serious and a lot more money. 574 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 1: She's accused. She and her husband, who is a famous designer. 575 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:07,200 Speaker 1: I've never heard of him. They're accused of spending a 576 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:10,920 Speaker 1: half million dollars too. I don't think anyone would ever 577 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:14,840 Speaker 1: accuse you of wearing design a closed date about you 578 00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:18,160 Speaker 1: know what? There is an interesting twist here. Gordon Ernst 579 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 1: was the Georgetown tennis coach from twenty and twelve to 580 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:24,319 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen. You might have heard of him because he 581 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:28,719 Speaker 1: was the private instructor for Michelle Obama and Sasha Emilia. 582 00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:32,719 Speaker 1: He's accused of getting three million dollars in bribes to 583 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:37,759 Speaker 1: get students onto the Georgetown tennis team. And now they're 584 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:40,360 Speaker 1: not accusing him of being involved with Sasha Malia or anything. 585 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 1: But there's a direct tie there with Michelle Obama and 586 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:46,839 Speaker 1: Gordon Ernst. Back to Lauflin for a minute. A half 587 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:49,799 Speaker 1: million dollars and here's the difference. You guys were talking 588 00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:51,879 Speaker 1: about the FED showing up with guns drawn. Well, she's 589 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:55,360 Speaker 1: working in Vancouver shooting fuller house or something. They're allowing 590 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: her to fly back in and turn herself in so 591 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:01,719 Speaker 1: that even even at pulling guns on everybody at six 592 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:03,680 Speaker 1: in the morning not pull off for her. They did 593 00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:05,759 Speaker 1: get her husband and he had to put their house 594 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:08,359 Speaker 1: up for grabs as part of getting them bonded out 595 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:10,480 Speaker 1: or bailed out rather, So we're looking at a half 596 00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:13,239 Speaker 1: million dollars that they're accused of giving this guy to 597 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:15,839 Speaker 1: help get her daughter, who is a YouTube star named 598 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:19,040 Speaker 1: Olivia Jade, who last year when she was talking about 599 00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:21,319 Speaker 1: her flip and attitude about college, caught a lot of 600 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:23,239 Speaker 1: online grief. If you want to go, you can watch 601 00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:25,959 Speaker 1: those videos. I don't encourage it. You will lose IQ 602 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:29,000 Speaker 1: points just by watching her videos. But the bottom line 603 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:31,560 Speaker 1: is these rich and famous people are accused of doing 604 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:33,839 Speaker 1: what most of us expect rich and famous people to do, 605 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:35,960 Speaker 1: skirt all the rules the rest of us have to 606 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:38,759 Speaker 1: play by. This is not a case where parents were 607 00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:42,200 Speaker 1: acting in the best interests of their children. This is 608 00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:45,640 Speaker 1: a case where they flaunted their wealth, sparing no expense 609 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:49,440 Speaker 1: to cheat the system so they could set their children 610 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 1: up for success with the best education money could buy. Literally, 611 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:58,239 Speaker 1: some spent anywhere from two hundred thousand to six and 612 00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:03,960 Speaker 1: a half million dollars for guaranteed admission. Their actions were, 613 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:10,200 Speaker 1: without a doubt, insidious, selfish, and shameful. Wow, that's FBI 614 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:17,759 Speaker 1: Special Agent in charge Joseph Bonavalanta talking to the press. 615 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:22,720 Speaker 1: Selfish and shameful. I mean, it's a flat out bribe. 616 00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:27,759 Speaker 1: To Ashley Wilcot, judge and lawyer, explain why this is 617 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:32,839 Speaker 1: not a white lie, why this is actually alleged to 618 00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:37,399 Speaker 1: be a federal crime because Nancy, under the definition, there 619 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 1: was an exchange of something of value money in this case, 620 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:47,239 Speaker 1: to reap a benefit that was not you under a contract, 621 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:52,400 Speaker 1: but instead for gain inappropriately. It's illegal. It's then a bribe, 622 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:55,919 Speaker 1: you know. To Jennifer Brovo's, co founder of New York 623 00:37:56,000 --> 00:38:00,799 Speaker 1: ps peas. It is a private education advisory service to 624 00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:03,160 Speaker 1: help parents place their children in the best schools that 625 00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:08,160 Speaker 1: they can get them into. You know, Jennifer, it hurt 626 00:38:08,239 --> 00:38:11,759 Speaker 1: me when I heard this. I was stunned because you know, 627 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:13,799 Speaker 1: when you watch people on TV, you think you know 628 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:16,239 Speaker 1: them kind of they're in your home every night, and 629 00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:19,520 Speaker 1: you get a feel for what you think the personality 630 00:38:19,560 --> 00:38:23,600 Speaker 1: is and you grow attached to them. I do. At 631 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:25,359 Speaker 1: the end of Monk, I had to go lay down. 632 00:38:25,560 --> 00:38:27,239 Speaker 1: I've just gotta tell you. I just couldn't take it. 633 00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:33,360 Speaker 1: But Jennifer, this is a huge, huge black eye to 634 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:37,799 Speaker 1: yours and marks and doctor Metcalf's business. It's like you 635 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:40,360 Speaker 1: could just buy your way into any school. It's not 636 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:43,879 Speaker 1: about merit. The IVY leagues mean nothing. I mean when 637 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:46,640 Speaker 1: I got into NYU, true it's not an IVY League, 638 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:52,080 Speaker 1: I couldn't believe it. And I had struggled, you know, 639 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:54,680 Speaker 1: tried so hard to get into Mercer and as I said, 640 00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:58,400 Speaker 1: got down on my knees and prayed, Thank God, I 641 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:02,480 Speaker 1: got into Mercery Law School. But it's all like it 642 00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:05,520 Speaker 1: means nothing if you can just pay your way in 643 00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:08,440 Speaker 1: like a movie ticket. Junifer, Well, first of all, I 644 00:39:08,520 --> 00:39:10,799 Speaker 1: want to say I also went to NYU, and it 645 00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:13,239 Speaker 1: might not have been in Ivy League school, but it 646 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:17,760 Speaker 1: is a school where I found a voice, I found passion, 647 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:21,799 Speaker 1: and it made me. I loved it too. I mean, 648 00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:23,759 Speaker 1: I grew up in a small suburb and I got 649 00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:26,520 Speaker 1: to move to the city and really found myself at 650 00:39:26,520 --> 00:39:29,640 Speaker 1: that school. And so when I talk about you know, 651 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:32,440 Speaker 1: going to one of these like five elite schools that 652 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:35,360 Speaker 1: are on this list. It's there are so many different 653 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:37,720 Speaker 1: colleges that are going to speak to so many different kids. 654 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:41,000 Speaker 1: In this case, I feel really bad for all the 655 00:39:41,120 --> 00:39:44,280 Speaker 1: children my son included. I'm going through the college process 656 00:39:44,280 --> 00:39:48,040 Speaker 1: with him right now, so work really hard. Who spent 657 00:39:48,239 --> 00:39:52,120 Speaker 1: weekends studying for their acts, trying to get their scores up, 658 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:56,800 Speaker 1: who took the time to research colleges and find different 659 00:39:56,840 --> 00:40:00,359 Speaker 1: programs that speak to them, and worked hard and went 660 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:03,440 Speaker 1: to their teachers who really talked to them about, you know, 661 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:05,640 Speaker 1: how they could get their grades up and what they 662 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:09,920 Speaker 1: could do extracurricular wise. And it's just it makes democrapy 663 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:12,239 Speaker 1: to all of these kids who are sitting around right 664 00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:16,240 Speaker 1: now because regular decisions are coming out at the beginning 665 00:40:16,239 --> 00:40:19,399 Speaker 1: of April, and these kids are probably sitting here going 666 00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:23,080 Speaker 1: what did I do? Why aren't my parents just buying 667 00:40:23,239 --> 00:40:25,719 Speaker 1: my way into school because I really want to go 668 00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:29,400 Speaker 1: to this school. It's just such a terrible precedent for everyone. 669 00:40:29,440 --> 00:40:33,399 Speaker 1: It's a terrible. It's awful. Yeah, And you know what's 670 00:40:33,440 --> 00:40:39,799 Speaker 1: happening tonight tonight tonight after soccer practice for Lucy Well 671 00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:44,240 Speaker 1: John David Broke's foot. He can't go after choir practice, 672 00:40:44,719 --> 00:40:48,680 Speaker 1: after the family nights separate at the church. We are going, 673 00:40:48,719 --> 00:40:50,560 Speaker 1: and it's going to be way past our bedtime for 674 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:57,319 Speaker 1: our first boy scout, and soon Lucy will be on 675 00:40:57,320 --> 00:41:01,160 Speaker 1: the same train to try to make eagle or silver Scout. 676 00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:04,319 Speaker 1: And they went, what is it, mom? Now it's in 677 00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:08,759 Speaker 1: four h but we don't have that here. And so 678 00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:14,040 Speaker 1: we're doing Scouts. I said, because you learn so much, 679 00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:16,600 Speaker 1: and you meet new people, and you learn how to camp, 680 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:19,400 Speaker 1: and you learn this, and you learned that, and one day, 681 00:41:19,840 --> 00:41:24,920 Speaker 1: one day, when you're trying to get into a fancy school, 682 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:30,480 Speaker 1: they're going to see eagle scout and you might get in. 683 00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:33,920 Speaker 1: And then this hits. I think about what I'm putting 684 00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:37,240 Speaker 1: my children through and all of our hopes and our dreams, 685 00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:43,719 Speaker 1: and it's very hurtful. NOTR Metcalf, Well, remember something, You're 686 00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:47,560 Speaker 1: giving your kids the best gift. And even though it 687 00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:51,239 Speaker 1: seems like a lot of these people have bought their 688 00:41:51,320 --> 00:41:57,520 Speaker 1: kids way into a prestigious college, the bottom line is 689 00:41:57,719 --> 00:42:01,480 Speaker 1: they have not done their kids anything. As those of 690 00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:06,120 Speaker 1: us that stay on the ethical line, we are helping 691 00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:11,520 Speaker 1: our kids in the long run. There is nothing in 692 00:42:11,560 --> 00:42:17,200 Speaker 1: the world like working really hard for something and achieving it. 693 00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:20,960 Speaker 1: And Nancy you and another way of the camelists were 694 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:26,480 Speaker 1: saying how great you felt when you were accepted. Imagine 695 00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:30,080 Speaker 1: finding out that you weren't really accepted. Your parents bought 696 00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:32,920 Speaker 1: your way in. You never have to think about that. 697 00:42:33,040 --> 00:42:36,440 Speaker 1: You did it on your own. That is the greatest 698 00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:41,399 Speaker 1: gift we give our kids. It really is. I don't 699 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:44,080 Speaker 1: know why. I actually that made me cheer up, because 700 00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:46,920 Speaker 1: you know you're a girl Scout leader, so you know 701 00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:50,560 Speaker 1: what's involved and being a silver Scout or an Eagle Scout, 702 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:56,040 Speaker 1: and it's for that learning that you do all that 703 00:42:56,200 --> 00:43:01,560 Speaker 1: for the girls and for the boy scouts. But I did. 704 00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:04,240 Speaker 1: I told them. I say, you keep working and maybe 705 00:43:04,239 --> 00:43:06,759 Speaker 1: by the time you're a senior in high school, you'll 706 00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:09,160 Speaker 1: be an Eagle Scout, because now the girls can be 707 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:11,000 Speaker 1: Eagle Scouts just like the boys that they think it 708 00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:13,680 Speaker 1: used to be called silver Scout. And then one day 709 00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:17,200 Speaker 1: somebody in admissions is going to see that and you're 710 00:43:17,239 --> 00:43:20,880 Speaker 1: going to get in because you worked so hard and 711 00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:24,320 Speaker 1: ask you just makes me feel sick that I've told 712 00:43:24,360 --> 00:43:27,960 Speaker 1: them all that and then this happens all that hard 713 00:43:27,960 --> 00:43:31,640 Speaker 1: work literally years they're just you know, along with your girls, 714 00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:36,800 Speaker 1: they're just in the fifth grade. That would be fifth six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, 715 00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:40,520 Speaker 1: eight years of hard work to try to impress somebody 716 00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:43,520 Speaker 1: in admissions when these parents are just writing a check. 717 00:43:43,719 --> 00:43:46,680 Speaker 1: And I think I understand completely the reason you teared up, Nancy, 718 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:49,719 Speaker 1: because now not only do I have the conversation with 719 00:43:49,719 --> 00:43:52,440 Speaker 1: my children about hard work pays off and these are 720 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:54,799 Speaker 1: things that can help you get into college. Now I've 721 00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:57,560 Speaker 1: had to have the conversation, including last night with my 722 00:43:57,640 --> 00:44:02,440 Speaker 1: high school freshman, about hey, it isn't okay to take 723 00:44:02,560 --> 00:44:05,160 Speaker 1: the short, easy road, It's not okay to pay your way, 724 00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:07,840 Speaker 1: because the conversation now is well, why am I working 725 00:44:07,880 --> 00:44:10,200 Speaker 1: so hard when other people aren't? So we have to 726 00:44:10,239 --> 00:44:13,640 Speaker 1: take this opportunity to educate our kids about hard work 727 00:44:13,680 --> 00:44:17,400 Speaker 1: does pay off. But also I'm relieved that they've caught 728 00:44:17,480 --> 00:44:20,399 Speaker 1: some people to prosecute, because I have no doubt this 729 00:44:20,480 --> 00:44:23,200 Speaker 1: is not the first time that's happened, but to actually 730 00:44:23,239 --> 00:44:27,640 Speaker 1: have evidence to prosecute could help put an into it, Nancy. 731 00:44:27,719 --> 00:44:29,560 Speaker 1: And that's what we need to see out And I 732 00:44:29,560 --> 00:44:34,440 Speaker 1: could just analyze the feelings of a mom and I 733 00:44:34,560 --> 00:44:38,600 Speaker 1: notice it. Macy William Macy, the husband has not been charged, 734 00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:43,879 Speaker 1: Felicity Huppan's husband. Just that feeling of willing to do 735 00:44:44,520 --> 00:44:49,400 Speaker 1: anything to help them advance in the world. You know, 736 00:44:49,440 --> 00:44:52,319 Speaker 1: I had the children late in life, and I'm not 737 00:44:52,360 --> 00:44:55,200 Speaker 1: going to be here to help them for the rest 738 00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:57,719 Speaker 1: of their lives. Like a lot of other parents are 739 00:44:57,719 --> 00:45:00,000 Speaker 1: going to be there well into their forties and their fifties. 740 00:45:00,040 --> 00:45:02,919 Speaker 1: I'm not, and I want to do everything I can 741 00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:07,839 Speaker 1: to help them now. But this is just, oh, it's 742 00:45:07,880 --> 00:45:13,400 Speaker 1: just a dark, dark day. I want to thank Jennifer Brovost, 743 00:45:13,840 --> 00:45:18,160 Speaker 1: co founder of New York Private Education Advisory Service, Mark Jerome, 744 00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:22,280 Speaker 1: a renowned athletic consultant who guides students interested in playing 745 00:45:22,360 --> 00:45:25,720 Speaker 1: varsity in college sports to find the right school for them. 746 00:45:25,920 --> 00:45:30,640 Speaker 1: Doctor Kim Metcalfe, author of Let's Build Extraordinary Youth Together. 747 00:45:31,840 --> 00:45:35,640 Speaker 1: Dave Max, indicated talk show host, Ashley Wilcot, trial lawyer 748 00:45:35,800 --> 00:45:40,040 Speaker 1: judge anchor at Ashley Wilcot dot Com. Jackie Howard in 749 00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:44,879 Speaker 1: the studio, Alan joining me from LA. We'll see where 750 00:45:44,920 --> 00:45:48,360 Speaker 1: this goes. I've got a feeling this is just the beginning. 751 00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:52,640 Speaker 1: Nancy Grace Crime story signing off goodbye friend,