Stanford University has expelled a student connected to the massive college admissions scandal where parents have been accused of paying large sums to fraudulently improve their children’s credentials to get them into schools. Stanford announced that they have rescinded admission from the unidentified female student, as well as any credits she had already earned.
The student has been accused of used phony sailing credentials in her college application, which school policy says warrants expulsion, according to the Stanford Daily.
A donation to the school’s sailing program in the amount of $500,000 was made following her admission. The money was donated through former coach John Vandemoer, who was then fired after he reached an agreement for a guilty plea based on allegations that he was taking donations to recommend students without sailing backgrounds to be recruits.
“We determined that some of the material in the student’s application is false and, in accordance with our policies, have rescinded admission,” the school said in a statement. “Any credits earned have also been vacated. The student is no longer on Stanford’s campus.”
Vandemoer has not been charged in connection with this particular alleged payment, but he pleaded guilty 0n March 12 to one count of racketeering conspiracy for taking $270,000 in payments made in connection to two other students who ended up not going to Stanford.
The school’s statement noted that none of the actual members of the school’s sailing team have been accused of anything. “It is critical to emphasize that there have been no allegations about any students who are members of the Stanford sailing team,” the university said.
This is among the first cases that involve a current student being punished based on allegations linked to Operation Varsity Blues, the government’s investigation into the alleged scam. So far it’s been parents, such as actress Lori Loughlin, who have been targeted for their alleged roles. Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli are accused of paying $500,000 for fake rowing credentials in order for their daughters to get into the University of Southern California. Other parents, such as actress Felicity Huffman and Gordon Caplan, the now-former chair of international law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, were accused of paying to cheat on their children’s college entrance exams. Caplan pleaded guilty on Friday.
[Image via ABC screengrab]
