Wealthy parents collectively paid tens of millions of dollars to buy places for their children at elite universities, authorities have alleged, in one of the most sweeping cheating scandals in US higher education.
In a criminal complaint , the justice department accused 50 individuals — including prominent financiers and famous actors — of engaging in a scheme to bribe college entrance exam administrators and university coaches. An FBI affidavit filed in support of the complaint listed Georgetown University, Stanford University and Yale University among the eight institutions affected.
Among the 32 parents charged were Gordon Caplan, co-chairman of the law firm Wilkie Farr & Gallagher; William McGlashan, a top executive at private equity firm TPG; and actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin.