44 Indictments On College Bribery Case

[Spotcheck Billy]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/04/04/bought-fencing-coach-house-then-his-son-got-into-harvard/EIWVMIxUFQ1XweY1xfB1GK/story.html

[StillAWarrior]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/04/04/bought-fencing-coach-house-then-his-son-got-into-harvard/EIWVMIxUFQ1XweY1xfB1GK/story.html

Well...points for creativity, I guess.

[Benny B]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/04/04/bought-fencing-coach-house-then-his-son-got-into-harvard/EIWVMIxUFQ1XweY1xfB1GK/story.html

During the weeks Zhao’s Needham house sat on the market for $699,000, it caught the eye of a family looking to buy a property and flip it. They were surprised by the price, and even more surprised it had sold a year earlier for almost $1 million.

They didn’t buy it, but looked up the buyer and seller in property records. They Googled them, and joked among themselves there might have been some funny business between Harvard’s fencing coach and the family of a recruit.

In March, after federal prosecutors announced the indictments of dozens in the massive college admissions scam, they decided to call the Globe.

This seems more like retaliation by a spurned buyer than an admissions scandal.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/04/what-college-admissions-scandal-reveals/586468/

"They Had It Coming


The parents indicted in the college-admissions scandal were responding to a changing America, with rage at being robbed of what they believed was rightfully theirs."

Interesting, I didn't know the scam about untimed testing.

[forgetful]

Here's the thing. All these "high-powered" people had no problem with this, because for many of them, it is how they got to where they were. Cheating, bribing, gaming the system that they designed so that people like them can stay in power.

Rules are for suckers, to these people. They are meant to keep others down, and ensure that they are at the top.

[StillAWarrior]

It doesn't excuse what she did, but at least Felicity Huffman knows how to write an apology.  I'm often amazed how celebrities draft half-hearted and ambiguous non-apologies when they're in trouble.  Huffman did a pretty good job of making an unqualified apology.

"I am pleading guilty to the charge brought against me by the United States Attorney's Office.  I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions.

"I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.

"My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty."

[Benny B]

It doesn't excuse what she did, but at least Felicity Huffman knows how to write an apology.  I'm often amazed how celebrities draft half-hearted and ambiguous non-apologies when they're in trouble.  Huffman did a pretty good job of making an unqualified apology.

"I am pleading guilty to the charge brought against me by the United States Attorney's Office.  I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions.

"I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.

"My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty."

Imma going to make the boldest prediction Scoop has ever known in saying that Felicity hired someone to write the apology for her.

[StillAWarrior]

Imma going to make the boldest prediction Scoop has ever known in saying that Felicity hired someone to write the apology for her.

I agree completely.  But, at least she was smart enough to hire someone who wrote a decent apology.  All the celebrities who make crappy apologies hire someone to write it for them.  I'll give Huffman a small amount of credit for hiring someone who wrote a decent apology.  Also, for being smart enough (i.e., hiring a lawyer who was smart enough) to know that a guilty plea is the correct strategy here.

[warriorchick]

Imma going to make the boldest prediction Scoop has ever known in saying that Felicity hired someone to write the apology for her.

Sure she had someone write it, but she is the one who released it as her own.

Give her credit.  Most people hire someone to write something with wiggle room.  Notice the word "but" does not appear anywhere in the statement like it does in many so--called "apologies".

[Jockey]

Sure she had someone write it, but she is the one who released it as her own.

Give her credit.  Most people hire someone to write something with wiggle room.  Notice the word "but" does not appear anywhere in the statement like it does in many so--called "apologies".

Worst of all are people who apologize by saying they are sorry if anyone was offended by their words/actions. Putting it on the other person as if the other person’s reaction was the issue.

Notably, she didn’t do that.

[Not A Serious Person]

Sure she had someone write it, but she is the one who released it as her own.

Give her credit.  Most people hire someone to write something with wiggle room.  Notice the word "but" does not appear anywhere in the statement like it does in many so--called "apologies".

+1

Does not matter who wrote it.  What matters is she released it under her name and says these words represents how she feels.

[jesmu84]

Eh. I call BS. These people only care that they got caught. They aren't sorry at all.

[Benny B]

Eh. I call BS. These people only care that they got caught. They aren't sorry at all.

Exactly.  These people weren't doing this because they were backed into a corner and had no choice to act despite knowing it was wrong.  Nor were they doing this because they honestly didn't think they were doing anything wrong.  They either a) didn't care about whether it was right/wrong or b) knew (or suspected) it was wrong yet felt themselves to be above the rules, laws, regulations, neighborhood association covenants, etc.

In time, they may truly realize the errors of their ways, but to take several weeks to go from arrogance to apologetic reeks of lawyer/publicist influence, not remorse.