Severe Punishment Unlikely by UCLA

Even if proven guilty, 14 current and former UCLA football players charged in a scam to illegally obtain handicap parking passes might not receive severe punishment from the university, administrators said Monday.

The players allegedly falsified applications to obtain passes so they could park in preferred spaces on campus. They await a July 28 arraignment on misdemeanor offenses that carry a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

At UCLA, the potential penalties are less significant.

“The placards may have been used to park illegally . . . and that falls within the range of campus parking violations,” said Bob Naples, dean of students. “I doubt that we have ever suspended or expelled students for parking violations.”

The illegal use of handicap passes is nothing new at the Westwood campus, where demand for parking often exceeds the supply of 22,577 spaces. Mark Stocki, director of transportation services, said campus police routinely conduct stings to catch students using bogus passes.

Violators have historically had their parking privileges revoked, Naples said. In some cases, they have also been put on disciplinary probation and made to do community service.

“We will deal with this consistent with the way we have dealt with parking violations in the past,” Naples said.

As athletes, the 14 currently charged might face additional punishment from the athletic department.

Athletic administrators declined to comment Monday. To date, their only public response to the alleged crimes has been a terse, three-paragraph news release issued last week.