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Long Island SAT Cheating Ring Was "Run Like A Business"
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 23, 2011
Modified Nov 23, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 23, 2011
Modified Nov 23, 2011
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The investigation SAT cheating ring across Long Island schools has resulted in more current and former students being targeted. Yesterday, Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice announced 13 more individuals face charges: Four are accused of taking tests while nine paid for people to take their SATs for them.
Between 2008 and 2011, Rice says students paid Joshua Chefec, Adam Justin, Michael Pomerantz and George Trane anywhere from $500 to $3600 to take SATs. Chefec, 20, a graduate of Great Neck North H.S.; Justin, 19, a graduate of North Shore Hebrew Academy; Pomerantz, 18, who attended Great Neck North H.S.; and Trane, 19, a graduate of Great Neck South H.S. face charges of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree, and Criminal Impersonation in the Second Degree. Chefec, Justin and Trane surrendered while Pomerantz will surrender on Monday. Newsday reports, "Eight other students, accused of paying others between $300 to $1,000 to take the tests, arrived at court Tuesday, hiding their faces under hats, hoods and scarves, and were arraigned on misdemeanor charges." A ninth student refused to surrender.
According to Newsday, a lawyer for one student said, "If these charges are proven, these kids should be held accountable," but, citing insider trading and athletic steroid use, "We need to re-evaluate the expectations we place on kids these days, and how we define success." Another lawyer told the NY Times, "My feeling is that it should be handled administratively by the College Board and the school board, not criminally, especially when the county is experiencing budget issues and resources are limited to begin with." But Rice says, "It was run like a business; there were referrals, word of mouth. A rumor mill was going around," and points out the students were essentially for credentials to get into better schools.
In September, Samuel Eshgahoff, a Great Neck High graduate and current Emory University student, was accused of taking SATs for pay. The investigation has embarrassed the College Board into beefing up security, too.
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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