This has an interesting slant to it:
Scandal at Houston
Ex-instructor, athlete accuse school of grade-fixing
Posted: Friday August 19, 2005 1:23PM; Updated: Friday August 19, 2005 3:31PM
By George Dohrmann, SI.com
When Alex Brown became a coordinator for student-athlete academic support at the University of Houston in 1994, he believed the job would allow him to help black student-athletes earn their degrees. Instead, Brown says, he became the athletic department's "fixer," the man coaches and academic counselors went to when an athlete's academic eligibility was in peril and a quick remedy was needed.
From 1995 to 2003, Brown says he solicited from other University of Houston professors at least 25 improper grade changes for UH athletes at the behest of coaches and other school officials. In addition, he says he changed grades for at least 30 athletes in the class he taught, Introduction to African-American Studies, and committed other acts of academic misconduct.
Brown, who was fired from the university in January 2004 and indicted by a grand jury earlier this year on charges related to stealing department funds, detailed his role in a series of interviews with SI.com this week. Other former University of Houston athletic department employees and former athletes contacted by SI.com substantiated Brown's charges that several school faculty members were willing to bend and break the rules for athletes.
"I was the best book-cooker in the athletic department. I was the go-to man," Brown says. "Everybody knew it. But I wasn't the only person doing wrong."
Brown twice met with NCAA enforcement officials earlier this year to discuss his accusations against the school. Brown says the first meeting occurred in February, when he traveled to Indianapolis to meet with NCAA assistant director of enforcement Eddie Weatherington. Brown says he then met with Rich Johanningmeier, the NCAA's associate director of enforcement, at a Houston hotel in April. The NCAA contacted the University of Houston on May 13, and a subsequent internal investigation by the school found 14 grade changes for student athletes between 1999-2005, says athletic director Dave Maggard. "The investigations found nothing irregular about the grade changes, the number of grade changes or the purpose or reasons for the grade changes," says Maggard.
NCAA spokesperson Jennifer Kearns told SI.com that the organization would not comment on the issue.
Brown says the grade changing began long before 1999 and claims the wrongdoing is more far-reaching than the school's internal investigation revealed. "My reaction to the results of [Houston's internal] investigation was, 'Damn, that's all they found?' They must not have looked hard," Brown says. "And I told the NCAA to look back to 1994, but the school went back only to 1999-2000. I guess they only looked at what they wanted to look at."
Brown was accused of stealing money from the university in December 2003, when he oversaw the athletic department's book distribution program. He is scheduled to go to trial on theft charges on Aug. 29. If convicted of the felony, Brown faces between 180 days and two years in jail and up to $10,000 in fines.
Brown denies stealing the money and admits he spoke to the NCAA and then to the media about his allegations to gain a measure of revenge for the theft charges. "Am I doing this because I am angry? Absolutely," he says. "But I just got fed up with all of it."
Scandal at Houston
Ex-instructor, athlete accuse school of grade-fixing
Posted: Friday August 19, 2005 1:23PM; Updated: Friday August 19, 2005 3:31PM
By George Dohrmann, SI.com
When Alex Brown became a coordinator for student-athlete academic support at the University of Houston in 1994, he believed the job would allow him to help black student-athletes earn their degrees. Instead, Brown says, he became the athletic department's "fixer," the man coaches and academic counselors went to when an athlete's academic eligibility was in peril and a quick remedy was needed.
From 1995 to 2003, Brown says he solicited from other University of Houston professors at least 25 improper grade changes for UH athletes at the behest of coaches and other school officials. In addition, he says he changed grades for at least 30 athletes in the class he taught, Introduction to African-American Studies, and committed other acts of academic misconduct.
Brown, who was fired from the university in January 2004 and indicted by a grand jury earlier this year on charges related to stealing department funds, detailed his role in a series of interviews with SI.com this week. Other former University of Houston athletic department employees and former athletes contacted by SI.com substantiated Brown's charges that several school faculty members were willing to bend and break the rules for athletes.
"I was the best book-cooker in the athletic department. I was the go-to man," Brown says. "Everybody knew it. But I wasn't the only person doing wrong."
Brown twice met with NCAA enforcement officials earlier this year to discuss his accusations against the school. Brown says the first meeting occurred in February, when he traveled to Indianapolis to meet with NCAA assistant director of enforcement Eddie Weatherington. Brown says he then met with Rich Johanningmeier, the NCAA's associate director of enforcement, at a Houston hotel in April. The NCAA contacted the University of Houston on May 13, and a subsequent internal investigation by the school found 14 grade changes for student athletes between 1999-2005, says athletic director Dave Maggard. "The investigations found nothing irregular about the grade changes, the number of grade changes or the purpose or reasons for the grade changes," says Maggard.
NCAA spokesperson Jennifer Kearns told SI.com that the organization would not comment on the issue.
Brown says the grade changing began long before 1999 and claims the wrongdoing is more far-reaching than the school's internal investigation revealed. "My reaction to the results of [Houston's internal] investigation was, 'Damn, that's all they found?' They must not have looked hard," Brown says. "And I told the NCAA to look back to 1994, but the school went back only to 1999-2000. I guess they only looked at what they wanted to look at."
Brown was accused of stealing money from the university in December 2003, when he oversaw the athletic department's book distribution program. He is scheduled to go to trial on theft charges on Aug. 29. If convicted of the felony, Brown faces between 180 days and two years in jail and up to $10,000 in fines.
Brown denies stealing the money and admits he spoke to the NCAA and then to the media about his allegations to gain a measure of revenge for the theft charges. "Am I doing this because I am angry? Absolutely," he says. "But I just got fed up with all of it."
