by Baker & Associates, attorneys at law
In today's tough economic climate, it can often be tempting for an individual to take some course of action designed to give them a little bit of an edge in the job hunt. For instance, an individual may claim to have a degree, such as a bachelor's degree in finance or a doctorate or master's degree of some sort in order to look more appealing to a potential employer. Embellishing a resume in this way is a fairly common occurrence, but many individuals do not know that such behavior is actual illegal.
T.C.A. 39-17-112 provides:
(a) It is an offense for any person to knowingly issue, sell or manufacture a false academic degree. As used in this subsection (a), "person" includes any individual, corporation, firm, company, partnership or association.
(b) It is an offense for an individual to knowingly use or claim to have a false academic degree to obtain:
(1) Employment;
(2) A promotion in employment; or
(3) Admission to a college, university or other institution of higher learning.
Such language obviously begs the question of what constitutes a "false academic degree;" a question that is conveniently answered in the next section of the statute.
(c) As used in this section, "false academic degree" shall mean any degree issued that meets one of the following criteria:
(1) Issued without requiring any student academic work;
(2) Issued based solely on the student's life experience or portfolio without requiring any post secondary work submitted to and evaluated by faculty with appropriate academic degrees from an institution that is:
(A) Accredited by a regional accrediting agency or other accrediting agency recognized by the United States department of education; and
(B) Authorized to operate in Tennessee pursuant to the provisions of title 49, chapter 7, part 20, relative to the authorization of post secondary institutions, or is exempted from authorization by the provisions of § 49-7-2004; or
(3) Issued using more than twenty-five percent (25%) of required credits based on the student's life experience or portfolio.
In essence then, it is illegal to have or claim to have a degree that is not earned by the individual based upon the completion or performance of a satisfactory amount of school work that correlates to the degree possessed. Violation of (a) of this statute is a class A misdemeanor carrying a jail sentence of up to eleven months and twenty-nine days and violation of (b) of the statute is a class C misdemeanor, carrying a sentence of up to thirty days in jail. if you or someone you know has been charged with this offense, contact an experienced East Tennessee criminal defense attorney serving Knox County, Sevier County, Sullivan County, Hamblen County, and surrounding areas for assistance with your case.
Bogus Degrees, No Apology, No Moral Compass
by Citizens for Better Government
MARYVILLE, TENN. -- The recent article in the The Daily Times about the Circuit Court Clerk, Tom Hatcher [former BCSO deputy sheriff], purchasing a bogus Bachelors degree with $3910 of County money highlights the absence of a clear moral compass in the county administration. It also shows the result of inadequate policies to govern the behavior of our county officials.
Hatcher purchased the "degree" from an outfit called Columbus Universityin Picayune, Mississippi. He issued a county purchase order on 12/29/04 to pay his $3910 "tuition." Apparently he was able to zip through his course requirements, while holding his full-time county job, because he claimed on his county website (until yesterday) that he was awarded his "Bachelors Degree" from Columbus in 2005.
All of this may have been feasible, since the Daily Times showed that the mailing address of Columbus University was actually the location of 'The Renewed Attitudes Massage and Body Sculpting Studio'.
This waste of taxpayer money is nothing new for Hatcher, who also seems to like nice cars, furniture, and refrigerators, as long as the citizens of the county are paying the bills.
If you claim a bogus degree and are found out, you can expect to be fired in most organizations. Not in Blount County. According to Mayor Cunningham: "The county has no control over how the elected officials spend the money appropriated to their budgets". The Mayor did not mention that he has a great deal of power as the head of the Budget Committee. He also should have substantial sway over the actions of the office holders through the use of the Mayor's office as a "bully pulpit". In addition, a Tennessee statute gives the county judges the power to remove Hatcher for "misbehavior in office". Yet, no one in the county administration, or judiciary, has done anything to censure Hatcher.
Of course, now that he has been caught red-handed, Hatcher has decided to reimburse the county for the $3910 the citizens paid for his bogus degree. Did he accompany the check with a public apology? No. Instead he further insulted the intelligence of Blount county citizens by claiming he: "did not realize the problems existed with Columbus University". As the kids say: "well duhhh". Maybe he should have gotten a clue from the willingness of the University to grant a degree with little work by him. Or, maybe he should have run a few Google searches before he decided to spend the citizens money. Such a search would have revealed that as far back as 1999 articles identified Columbus as a diploma mill; or that CBS 20/20 identified Columbus University as a source of "fake degrees" in May of 2004 (7 months before Hatcher bought his degree); or that the State of Texas listed Columbus University as a "source of fraudulent or substandard degrees". It seems that truth and remorse come hard to Mr. Hatcher.
The Mayor was given the information about the Circuit Court Clerk's waste of funds on a bogus diploma more than a week before the story broke in the paper. So far, the Mayor has done nothing to publicly chastise Hatcher. Apparently, if you misuse funds in Blount County and get caught, all you have to do is repay the money, and all is well with the Mayor. We continue to believe the Mayor is a better man than that, and hope he will show it.
Hatcher was able to get away with his actions, because Blount County does not have any tuition reimbursement policy. Citizens for Better Government has repeatedly pointed to the need for standards and policies in the county, only to be told by the mayor that we are: "dead wrong". We know one thing - without policies and standards - anything goes! Hatcher's actions prove it.
See also:
Tom Hatcher's son, judicial commissioner Dustin Hatcher, was arrested and convicted of felony pedophile rape committed inside the Blount County Justice Center, with photos of the criem spree posted on the walls of Tom Hatcher's court clerk office. Dustin was a recent graduate of car stereo installation (and fast removal) school.
Diploma Mill Columbus University Receives Tennessee County Tax Dollars
Beware of Columbus University — it is a diploma mill. And right now, it is stirring up a cyclone of confusion in Blount County, Tennessee, where employees used a county tuition reimbursement program to pay for unaccredited college degrees.
This is not the first time tax dollars ended up in the pockets of a fake degree mill; and the officials of Blount County plan to insure that tax coffers do not unwittingly feed money into the illegal businesses. The tuition reimbursement policy was revised in 2002; but nothing specifically ruled out employees’ use of the funds for unaccredited universities. In fact, nothing regarding accreditation was addressed at all.
We are not referring to the accredited Columbus State University in Georgia with a sprawling campus and fine academic and athletic programs. And this is not about Columbia University, the one with ground-breaking research and a world-renowned medical center. No, we are discussing the ’school’ with a storefront rather than a campus, and a mailbox instead of a sports team.
Columbus University was based in Lousiana until a CBS News story was the catalyst for an investigation, forcing the institution to close its doors in 2004. But it popped up again in Mississippi just a few months later, where it continues to flourish. The investigation followed disclosures that high-ranking government official, Charles Abell, held a master’s degree from the degree mill. At the time, Abell was Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Personnel and Readiness.
Distance learning is a popular and fast-growing alternative that has drawn millions to online colleges and universities. Accredited online degrees are flexible; but the requirements for earning an online bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree are simliar in coursework and credits to those of traditional colleges and universities.
Reputable online degree programs are generally eligible for federal financial aid, something that is not true for diploma mills. Also, both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education maintain a database of approved accrediting agencies and colleges for those wishing to double-check their e-learning choices.
Columbus University takes the money of willing victims and sends them a worthless college diploma. But at least Blount County, Tennessee, is working to see that it does not happen to their employees anymore.
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