|
Thomas James Kirk II (also known as Thomas McPherson) operated several fraudulent higher education organizations (diploma mills), including LaSalle University in Mandeville, Louisiana (not to be confused with La Salle University in Pennsylvania), the University of San Gabriel Valley,, and Bienville University.〔(Legislator escapes probe ), by Teddy Ng, ''The Standard'', April 20, 2005〕〔(Louisiana Board of Regents Shuts Down 4 Distance-Learning Institutions ), By Andrea L. Foster, ''The Chronicle of Higher Education'', November 8, 2002〕〔Associated Press (September 25, 1996). (Minister indicted on fraud charges involving church-run university. ) ''Dallas Morning News''〕〔Staff report (September 25, 1996). (Ex-Senate candidate indicted in fraud case. ) ''The Advocate''〕 Kirk's "LaSalle University" was shut down in 1996 following a raid by the FBI. Kirk was indicted for fraud in 1996 and, after a plea agreement, was sentenced to five years in U.S. federal prison. == History == The University of San Gabriel Valley was a correspondence law school based in California.〔 At the time, California's regulations allowed for authorization of a degree program if the prospective operator provided a list of faculty and courses and demonstrated $50,000 in assets, and Southland met California's requirements. In 1984 ''Time'' reported that a former Southland registrar said that the school had granted a bachelor's degree in engineering based on the student's short résumé and had awarded a law degree to a real estate agent on the basis of an exam designed to test legal assistants. ''Time'' quoted Kirk, who claimed he no longer operated Southland, as saying he "had no interest as an educator," but the school "was a good way to make money."〔Ellie McGrath, (Education: Sending Degrees to the Dogs ), ''Time'', April 2, 1984〕 Renamed LaSalle University. Kirk later moved it to Mandeville, Louisiana. According to John Bear, a renowned authority on diploma mills who consulted for the FBI, Kirk set up "World Christian Church" in Louisiana, placed the university in the ownership of the "church" to claim religious exemption from state education laws, and claimed to have taken a vow of poverty.〔 In the mid-1990s, LaSalle provoked the attention of authorities because of evidence that government workers had been awarded promotions and salary increases based on fraudulent advanced degrees. According to a prosecutor with the Attorney General's office, more than a dozen known diploma mills had been set up in Louisiana, where the laws were particularly lenient. Federal investigators estimated that LaSalle, alone, had issued in excess of 40,000 fake diplomas, the bulk of them to government employees. In fact, LaSalle's sales and marketing materials highlighted the fact that many of its graduates occupied high positions in government. The school was shut down after a July 1996 raid by the FBI, U.S. postal inspectors, and the Internal Revenue Service.〔 According to John Bear, the U.S. Attorney wrote to every person in the LaSalle files, officially informing them that LaSalle was nothing more than a diploma mill. All were advised that funds were available for refunds, providing they turned in their diploma(s). Many didn't, presumably so they could continue to parlay their degrees for more money in the marketplace, with impunity (they could always claim ignorance, later). The FBI report stated that LaSalle had only one ''faculty member'' serving 15,000 students (and her only degree was a Bachelor's from LaSalle). Furthermore, the back of the student application forms contained a disclaimer advising students that their signatures simply made them Ministers of Kirk's World Christian Church, and that any degrees they might get would merely be religious degrees, regardless of the subject.〔Bear, John, quoted on www.degreeinfo.com. (Distance Learning Discussion ) June 29, 2009.〕 Kirk was charged with 18 criminal counts, including mail fraud, tax violations, and other crimes.〔〔Sara Shipley, "Charges Filed Against LaSalle Pair," The Times-Picayune, January 28, 1997〕 At the time of his arrest, the operation was discovered to have more than $35 million in bank deposits, current cash deposits of $10 million, and other assets.〔〔Glen Justice and Bill Voelker, "LaSalle Suspect Turns Himself In," The Times-Picayune, October 1, 1996〕 Ultimately Kirk entered a plea agreement in which he was sentenced to five years in federal prison and was ordered not to operate any more schools.〔 Kirk did, in fact, serve five years for all charges relating to these diploma mills.〔 After he went to prison his wife, Natalie Handy, opened Edison University, an unaccredited distance education institution operated from a rented mail box at a Mail Boxes Etc. in Honolulu.〔John Bear, (''Degree Mills: The $200 Million a year Competitor You Didn't Know You Had'' ). Revised April 7, 2004.〕 Edison later used the name Acton University.〔 In 1997, World Christian Church sued Kirk and wife Natalie Handy for one million dollars.〔Sara Shipley, "Church Sued the Founder of LaSalle: He and Wife took Jewelry, Cars, Cash, Lawsuit Says," The Times-Picayune, July 16, 1997〕 Natalie Handy later operated Novus University School of Law (registered in Marshall Islands) from Palmdale, California, the school is not accredited by the American Bar Association and its degrees are invalid in California and Oregon.〔"Authorities in Texas and Oregon have already declared law degrees from Novus invalid, and Touro is asking a judge to declare the school a diploma mill." Novus states that the American Bar Association is responsible for law school accreditation and notes: "NOVUS UNIVERSITY/NOVUS LAW SCHOOL IS NOT ACCREDITED BY THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION."〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「James Kirk diploma mills」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|