Operation Varsity Blues

Being stated “the largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted”, among the parents, coaches and college executives being accused is one Felicity Huffman, former star on Desperate Housewives.

Source: Edition.cnn.com via Eric Levenson and Mark Morales

The aforementioned suspects are being accused of carrying out nationwide fraud to get students into highly prestigious schools such as Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, and the University of Southern California. The plot had two major pieces in effect:

1. Parents had paid the college preparation organization to take the test on behalf of the students (who were children of the parents), or to correct their answers and raise their scores.
2. The organization allegedly bribed college coaches to help the students bypass admissions and be recruited for their athletic abilities, regardless of their actual sporty capabilities. Some instances reported that defendants had created fake athletic profiles for the students as well.

A total of 50 people were charged in this criminal investigation which was called “Operation Varsity Blues”: 33 parents, two SAT/ACT administrators, one exam proctor, nine coaches at elite schools, and one college administrator according to Andrew Lelling, the US attorney for Massachusetts. The parents occupations included very “wealthy and privileged lifestyles”, such as actors, CEOs, fashion designers, and a co-chairman of a global law firm.

Lelling states the following about the case: