E-Paper
Online university awards MBA to cat
The Pennsylvania attorney general's office sued an online university for allegedly selling bogus academic degrees ? including an MBA awarded to a cat.
The Pennsylvania attorney general's office sued an online university on Monday for allegedly selling bogus academic degrees — including an MBA awarded to a cat.
Trinity Southern University in Texas, a cellular company and the two brothers who ran them are accused of misappropriating Internet addresses of the state Senate and more than 60 Pennsylvania businesses to sell fake degrees and prescription drugs by spam e-mail, according to the lawsuit.
Investigators paid $299 (€222) for a bachelor's degree for Colby Nolan — a deputy attorney general's 6-year-old black cat — claiming he had experience including baby-sitting and retail management.
The school, which offers no classes, allegedly determined Colby Nolan's resume entitled him to a master of business administration degree; a transcript listed the cat's course work and 3.5 grade-point average.
The state is seeking a permanent injunction, civil penalties, costs and restitution for violating consumer law and restrictions on unsolicited e-mail ads.
Prosecutors said more than 18,000 illegal e-mails were sent out this year with links to Trinity Southern's web-address, including 300 that appeared to originate from the Internet servers of Pennsylvania companies and institutions.
