Posted on 10/20/2005 5:59:05 AM PDT by ShadowDancer
Wal-Mart Heiress Surrenders College Degree
POSTED: 8:29 pm EDT October 19, 2005
LOS ANGELES -- Wal-Mart heiress Elizabeth Paige Laurie is now no longer a graduate of the University of Southern California.
Laurie has returned her degree nearly a year after a former roommate alleged that Laurie had paid her $20,000 to do her homework.
Elena Martinez told ABC's "20/20" she'd written term papers and done assignments for Laurie for more than three years.
Laurie is the granddaughter of Wal-Mart co-founder Bud Walton. A statement from USC said she "voluntarily" surrendered her degree and returned her diploma to the school.
Laurie's family has repeatedly declined to comment on the cheating allegation.
Martinez could not be reached for comment.
At the time of the "20/20" broadcast, Martinez said she dropped out of USC because she couldn't afford the tuition. She said she learned a great deal by doing Laurie's class work.
I guess she can still get a job as a cashier.
I'd say Laurie is in for a refund, and if I were her, I'd be filing a lawsuit to get my money back. Breach of contract ...
Well, Laurie should get her $20k back...
As a graduate of UCLA, I'm wondering how hard can it actually be to take the tests yourself and get passing grades at USC
This is news why? Oh I forgot... Walmart = evil for the MSM, pro-union liberals, and conservative isolationists.
There is something of a poetic justice to it: WalMart heiress buying a WalMart type of a degree (cheap and defective). She should have been getting at least a quote on something better, like MIT degree.
Not so sure about that. I doubt the contract was conditional upon graduation. More like it was on a job-by-job basis.
My HS. Sociology teacher and his roomates put a dog through three years at UMASS before getting caught.
I can tell you her parents are sorely pissed about this whole deal. She is a foolish kid with too much money and the "friend" that perpetrated the crime is just as guilty. I commend her parents for forcing her to return her degree. They are not bad people.

It's gotta be tough to have a sports facility named after you, and then not.
wonder if roomate paid taxes on the $ 20,000. She was as greedy as Laurie. I guess a book deal is next or roommate
Yeah, I can't understand why a store would sell such junk? I don't understand why there are so many millions of stupid people that shop there every day? I don't understand why there are so many ignorant people that talk out of their butts...
How is this different than claiming you earned medals and got an honorable discharge (that youd didn't) then running and being elected to the Senate and then running for El presidenty - OK now I remember it's Walmart.
One huge difference here she returned her degree after being busted - the ketchup dildo keeps on keeping on.
What I don't understand is why she'd even bother trying to get the USC degree in the first place. It's not as if she needed a college degree to get a good job at the age of 22.
I take it the girl wanted more money, when the shakedown didn't work, she went public.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.