Athletic coaches at USC, UCLA, and Stanford were fired Tuesday after federal prosecutors announced that more than 50 people had been indicted in a university admissions bribery scandal. Coaches had been among those charged with racketeering conspiracy for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for admitting college students as athletes, regardless of their capability. UCLA says its soccer teacher, Jorge Salcedo, has been placed on leave pending an assessment and will have no involvement with the group.
The college started in a statement Tuesday that it’s a “capacity victim of a fraudulent scheme”; however, it’s now not privy to any student-athletes under suspicion. Court files say Salcedo, the head coach for the men’s group, helped get applicants who did not play aggressive football into UCLA in trade for $100,000 in 2016 and 2018. After the allegations were made public, USC fired its mythical men’s and girls’ water polo trainer, Jovan Vavic, and Donna Heinel, the senior associate athletic director.
Two former USC athletics staffers — women’s football coach Ali Khosroshahin and his assistant instruct, Laura Janke — were also named in the federal indictment, the Los Angeles Times reports. Court documents say Vavic was paid $250,000, and two students were recruited as recruits for his water polo group to facilitate their admission to the university. Prosecutors allege Heinel additionally helped promote admissions after she became paid bribes. Heinel’s attorney had no comment Tuesday.
FBI spokesman Jason White says Vavic was taken into custody Tuesday in Honolulu. It’s not clear if he has an attorney to speak for him. USC says it reviews any admissions decisions and bills tied to the case. At Stanford, the pinnacle sailing teacher admitted accepting bribes to help college students get into school after being fired Tuesday. After a Newport Beach college representative, John Vandermeer, became the second person to plead responsibility Tuesday in the sweeping bribery scheme. Vandermeer is charged with racketeering conspiracy, allegedly accepting $270,000 in contributions to the school’s application.
Authorities say Vandemoer conspired with the admissions consultant, William “Rick” Singer, to potential faux students who have been aggressive sailors in exchange for payments to the Stanford sailing software. Neither scholar ended up attending Stanford. His attorney, Rob Fisher, says that Vandemoer regrets that Stanford has been dragged into the case and that Vandemoer cherished the school and its college students. The school said Tuesday that neither scholar came to Stanford but that “the alleged behavior runs counter to Stanford’s values.”
Stanford stated there is no proof that everyone else in the school is concerned but will behave according to an internal evaluation. Other coaches are accused at faculties, including Georgetown University and Wake Forest University, the latter of which has suspended its head volleyball coach. The NCAA says it will investigate claims made in opposition to university coaches and directors in the scandal. In a statement, the NCAA says the “fees delivered forth nowadays are troubling and must be a subject for all of higher education.
Most NCAA regulations that adjust recruiting aim to stop schools and coaches from giving wrong benefits and enticements to athletes. In this situation, the mother and father paid coaches to assist college students in gaining entry by falsifying strong credentials and claiming that the scholars were being recruited to perform sports activities. The NCAA says it’s miles reviewing the allegations “to decide the extent to which NCAA regulations maybe were violated.
