Celebrities lose their job, students sue US colleges in the admissions scandal



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LOS ANGELES: Hollywood actress Lori Loughlin was abandoned by a television network and her daughter lost a sponsorship deal on Thursday, March 14, as students sued prestigious universities following the growing fallout from the scandal of corruption in universities.

Crown Media Family Networks, the company that owns the Hallmark cable channel, has established ties with Loughlin, its star of "Garage Sale Mysteries", after being indicted in the scandal, the group said Thursday.

"We are no longer working with Lori Loughlin and have stopped the development of all productions broadcast on the Crown Media Family network channels" involving the actress, the company said in a statement.

READ: Hollywood stars among dozens of people accused of fraud in college admissions

Hallmark's announcement follows a previous one from LVMH's Sephora beauty chain, which announced the end of its partnership with Olivia, Loughlin's daughter.

Olivia Giannulli, the 19-year-old daughter of Mossimo Giannulli, designer and star of "Full House", is an "influencer" of social media that is called Olivia Jade online.

The products of his makeup collaboration were removed from Sephora's website on Thursday afternoon. It was not clear right away if his products were available in stores.

A representative of Olivia Giannulli could not be immediately contacted for comment.

Loughlin and her husband were accused Tuesday of paying $ 500,000 US as part of a ploy to cheat on university entrance exams and bribe sports coaches for Help Olivia and her sister, Isabella Giannulli, to enter the University of Southern California, according to the court documents.

Loughlin and her husband were detained by the federal government and were later released on Wednesday with separate obligations of one million dollars.

REFUSAL OF FAIR SHOT

The lawsuit began on Wednesday, a day after federal prosecutors announced to a California-based company about 25 million US dollars for parents seeking places for their children in the best schools, including the universities of Georgetown, Stanford and Yale.

Fifty people, including 33 parents and athletics coaches, have been indicted in the biggest scandal of admission to colleges across the country. The brain of the accused, William Singer, pleaded guilty to racketeering charges.

In a civil lawsuit, Erica Olsen and Kalea Woods, students at Stanford, were denied a fair opportunity to be admitted to Yale and USC because of an alleged racketeering, and said their diplomas at Stanford would be devalued.

Singer and eight colleges have been appointed as defendants in the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, including the reimbursement of unsuccessful candidates for seven-year school application fees.

Another lawsuit filed by Joshua Toy and his mother was denied, despite a cumulative grade point average of 4.2. He claims 500 billion USD in damages to 45 defendants for defrauding and inflicting emotional distress on anyone for whom "the right to a fair chance" to enter. the college was stolen.

The defendants in this case include Singer and the accused parents, including the actor Felicity Huffman, "Desperate Housewives", Loughlin and Giannulli, as well as William McGlashan Jr., equity partner of TPG Capital, who was fired Thursday. by the firm.

"These clbad actions are opportunistic creatures of lawyers who are trying to get a windfall," Singer's lawyer Donald Heller said in a phone interview.

Counsel for the other complainants did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Both lawsuits were filed in California. More lawsuits are likely.

Prosecutors said Singer had used his Edge College & Career Network and an affiliated non-profit organization to help future students cheat on university admission tests and bribe coaches to strengthen their sports skills.

The Stanford case is remarkable because it is one of the most prestigious and selective universities in the country, having admitted only 4.3% of its candidates last year.

But Olsen and Woods said their degrees "are not worth as much anymore", as potential employers might wonder if they were admitted on merit or via bribes by parents.

A Stanford spokesman said the university was reviewing the lawsuit.

TIP THAT LEADED TO THE DISCOVERY OF FRAUD

The initial advice that led to the discovery of the college scandal arose out of a non-securities fraud investigation led to Morrie Tobin, a Los Angeles resident who allegedly participated in stock market maneuvers, said Thursday a person familiar with the matter. .

Tobin, who pleaded guilty on February 27 to charges of conspiracy and securities fraud, told the authorities that a female football coach at Yale University had asked for a pot of money. wine in exchange for the help given to his daughter to enter the Ivy League school, announced the person.

Rudy Meredith, the former coach, agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud charges.

After receiving the tip, the FBI secretly recorded a meeting between Meredith and Tobin, during which he claimed $ 450,000 in exchange for his recruitment for a spot in the football team, depending on the person and the court archives.

At the meeting, Meredith accepted a partial payment of $ 2,000 in cash, according to the billing documents.

Brian Kelly, Tobin's lawyer, declined to comment. Meredith's lawyer has not responded to a request for comment.

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