Indicted USC parents to plead guilty in admissions scandal


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USC parents Bruce and Davina Isackson are among 13 parents who have agreed to plea guilty in the college admission bribery case. (Sasha Urban/Daily Trojan)

Two USC parents are among the 13 who agreed to plead guilty for their involvement in the college admissions bribery scheme, an attorney for one of the parents said in a statement Monday.

Bay Area real estate developer Bruce Isackson and Davina Isackson are accused of paying over $600,000 to help their two older daughters gain admission to UCLA and USC, according to FBI documents.

In a joint statement released by attorney David Willingham, who represents Davina Isackson, the couple apologized for their involvement in the scandal and said they will cooperate with law enforcement.

“Our duty as parents was to set a good example for our children and instead we have harmed and embarrassed them by our misguided decisions,” the statement read. “We have also let down our family, friends, colleagues and our entire community. We have worked cooperatively with the prosecutors and will continue to do so as we take full responsibility for our bad judgment.”

Other parents indicted in the FBI investigation who will plead guilty include actress Felicity Huffman and marketing guru Jane Buckingham. Buckingham allegedly paid mastermind William “Rick” Singer to have a proctor take her son’s ACT with the hopes of getting her son admitted to USC.

The parents will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, and Bruce Isackson will additionally plead guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and a count of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service.

According to the FBI documents, the Isacksons paid over $15,000 to Singer to have a proctor change their younger daughter’s ACT scores in 2017. Singer also contacted former USC senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel for help admitting the Isackson’s younger daughter as a fake crew recruit.

Former assistant soccer coach Laura Janke created a profile claiming the Isackson’s daughter had previous competitive crew experience, and Heinel informed the family in December 2017 that their daughter would be admitted as a student-athlete, according to FBI documents. After their daughter was officially admitted to USC in Spring 2018, the Isacksons paid $250,000 to the Key Worldwide Foundation, part of which was also paid to Heinel, according to the documents.

Heinel and water polo coach Jovan Vavic were terminated from their positions in March when the investigation revealed their alleged involvement in the scheme. Janke left USC in 2014.

USC previously announced in a statement that it is conducting a case-by-case review of any students who could be associated with the admissions scandal. The accounts of the students connected to the bribery scheme have been placed on hold, preventing them from withdrawing from the University or requesting transcripts. They cannot register for classes until they agree to participate in their case review.

“Among many factors investigators could consider in reviewing each case are any developments in the criminal cases, including plea deals by parents,” USC wrote in an updated statement Monday.

Singer collected payments from 33 wealthy parents through his Key Worldwide Foundation, a nonprofit that allegedly worked to conceal bribes made to college coaches and an athletic official as donations. The bribery scam helped the children of celebrities, executives and professors gain admission to universities like USC, UCLA, Yale University and Stanford University.