USC Gets Reprimand From the Pacific 10

In what may be the final word on allegations that USC athletes systematically committed academic fraud, the Pacific 10 Conference publicly reprimanded the school Monday but stopped short of recommending an independent investigation or any NCAA penalties.

After reviewing a 61-page report submitted by USC in April, which found only two instances of wrongdoing, the Pac-10 released a statement saying that it “accepted the corrective and disciplinary actions taken” by the school. But the Pac-10 also directed its staff to evaluate the effectiveness of the corrective measures taken by the tutoring program within USC’s Student Athlete Academic Services (SAAS).

USC has already begun looking for a method to better monitor its tutors, the Pac-10 stated.

Last September, Christopher Cairney, former director of tutoring services for SAAS, charged that several employees inside Heritage Hall were writing papers for athletes and providing inappropriate assistance.

In its report to the Pac-10, USC said there was no evidence of widespread cheating involving SAAS employees. What it revealed, USC officials claimed, was that Cairney and another tutor were the only two employees to commit academic fraud.

The school alleged in its report that Cairney knowingly committed academic fraud in 1995 when he prepared a paper for Mike Bastianelli, a USC wide receiver.

“Why did they wait two years to nail me for this supposed academic fraud?” Cairney said in April. “They’ve used it to discredit me.”

The school did not name the tutor who was accused of “preparing a paper” for a member of the women’s diving team. He and Cairney were fired.

Cairney, who USC also accused of making racial slurs at work, filed a lawsuit last month, charging the school with wrongful termination, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Throughout the investigation, Cairney said USC and the Pac-10 were ignoring statements made by other SAAS employees who claimed to have witnessed academic fraud.

“Obviously, all of [USC’s findings] are designed to distract people from what was going on,” Cairney said Monday. “Their voices were never heard and their names were never mentioned in the Pac-10 report.”

Noel M. Looney, who tutored USC athletes for five years before quitting last fall, claimed he had seen tutors writing papers for athletes over a long period. When USC submitted the report in April, USC’s interim counsel Todd Dickey said that Looney’s allegations were not corroborated. Dickey could not be reached for comment Monday.