UNC Reports Finds 18 Years Of Academic Fraud For Athletes

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A report commissioned by the prestigious University of North Carolina brought attention to fake “paper classes,” where athletes were funneled by advisers to join a program that kept them eligible to play sports with easy grades.

Four employees have been fired with five more disciplined for their role in the scandal.

“These counselors saw the paper classes and the artificially high grades they yielded as key to helping some student-athletes remain eligible,” wrote Kenneth Wainstein, the former federal prosecutor hired by UNC to investigate the academic fraud and bring it to light.

Wainstein found five counselors actively encouraging students to take paper classes calling them “GPA boosters,” as several suggested the grade needed by an athlete to continue their performance on the court and in the fields.

UNC enjoyed the reputation of creating basketball greats such as coach Dean Smith and Michael Jordan with the belief that athletics and academics came hand in hand. Unfortunately, the stigma is now tarnished.

“I can safely say that the scope of the 20-year UNC fraud scandal easily takes the prize for the largest and most nefarious scandal in the history of NCAA enforcement. The depth and breadth of the scheme — involving counselors, coaches, academic administrators, faculty, athletic administrators, etcetera — eclipses any previous case,” Gurney said.

First hints of the scandal began in 2010 when allegations arose that some athletes were having improper contact with agents. However, after investigations were held, academic irregularities were found for the classes that required little to no work in order to get a passing grade.

Hear North Carolina whistleblower Mary Willingham and former football player Deunta Williams discuss the fake classes below, and if you want to know more, read about the UNC academic scandal on ESPN here!

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