Cheating has seemed to become a viable pathway to the American dream. Monetary gains are usually what the cheaters are aiming for. Then there are college students cheating on tests. One can argue that achieving good grades in college can eventually lead to getting a high paying job, which leads to monetary gain. There is cheating in sports where winning can translate into monetary gains and sports fan accolades. Cheating has become as viral as Covid in our society, so I thought it would be interesting to examine different stories of cheating.
Do not try any of these acts of cheating on your own.
College Cheating
When the pandemic forced colleges to close, as we all know that led to learning remotely. How honestly were students testing.? According to the colleges, students cheated using technology or collaborating with others. One student from Middle Tennessee State University used a smartphone speaker to get answers for an exam. Then there was a cheating scandal at California State, Los Angeles. Answers to exams were given on a GroupMe chat.
Colleges have noted that the level of cheating has risen considerably. Middle Tennessee State University saw a rise in cheating from 2019 – 2021. The increase in cheating was by 79%. What is unclear is were students cheating more or are the online tools that universities use just uncovering a trend that was always there? Some of the programs that are used to detect cheating are: Examity, Honorlock and Proctorio.
There are students and professors that are concerned with privacy issues and depending on the way the programs work they have been accused of not always being accurate for students with ADHD and students of color. Colleges have honor councils which rule on academic integrity cases If a student is found cheating, depending on the school‘s rules they may be suspended for a period of time or completely asked to leave permanently.
A Cheating MIT Professor
Although this story is about a professor, cheating has nothing to do with school. John Donovan Sr. who was a former professor from MIT, took a huge fall from grace. He had amassed a fortune from two dozen companies and wrote 20 books. He was in social circles that included the former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. Donovan was so respected that he was earning $300,000 for corporate seminars on change. He had five children, and saw his family like the Kennedy’s. On his hearth in his home at Manchester by the Sea it says “Donovan’s stick together.”
Now comes the low lights. First came the cheating of investors into his companies through IPO’s. Donovan and his besties took their profits and basically left the investors holding an empty bag. Then there were several divorces, which would encroach on Donovan Sr. financials, so he thwarted the attack by putting his money into trusts for his children. The trusts included a number of real estate holdings. So let’s recap, now his ex wives were cheated out of what should have been their financial settlements in their divorce agreements.
You may be thinking, well he put the money in trusts for his children so that makes him a good father. Not so much. John Donovan Jr. who had terminal cancer wrote that he wants to be clear that his father should have nothing to do with his children’s upbringing. To make sure there was any doubt of Donovan Jr’s conviction to this point he made a video reiterating these points. In addition, he got a restraining order to make sure his father would not be a problem to his wife Megan.
Donovan Jr. knew his father well. Donovan Sr. filed lawsuits against his children to regain his wealth. He forged 25 documents against Jr’s family and doctored audio tapes he had from when his son was sick. He was found to be fraudulent and was given a 2 year sentence and 3 year probation. Cheating against your own family is as low as one can get. John Donovan Sr., wanted his family to stick together. His children did stick together, but they did so to prove their father to be a cheater and manipulator.
Chess Cheating
This scandal is as complex as the game of Chess for most of us novices. Hans Niemann, an American chess master, was accused of cheating by Magnus Carlsen, a Norwegian chess master. Neimann admitted cheating twice in online tournaments when he was twelve and sixteen years old. Niemann disputes that he cheated at a tournament against Carlsen, at the Sinquefield Cup in St Louis.
Carlsen may not be so innocent either. He is known to have a problem with losing. The other issue that could be the driving force against Niemann is that Carlsen owns Play Magnus. By defaming Niemann he becomes the top player. Carlsen is in the midst of selling his company to Chess.com. Chess.com the buyer of Play Magnus (not an impartial participant) issued a report stating that Hans cheated in more than 100 online games, some of which were for prize money. He was already 17, when he cheated in some of these games. If Niemann’s character was defamed, then Carlsen would be the top player and obviously Chess.com’s buyout would be a stronger deal. Niemann is suing Carlsen and Chess.com for $100 million in a defamation suit. Chess that always seemed so genteel, sounds like they caught a bit of the ever present cheating bug.
Horse Racing
When I was young I remember having a discussion with my dad about horse racing. He told me a story that a friend who owned several horses invited him to come to a race. My dad asked his friend about the chances of the horse he was running. The owner said he was just running the horse for experience, and he had no chance of winning. As one might have figured the horse won. That was enough knowledge for him, my dad never bet on horse racing.
I must say that as I was researching horse racing I was surprised at the variation of cheating schemes. This scheme is old but good John Gillespie, a bloodstock agent (buys and sells horses) purchased two Australian racehorses. One Dashing Solitaire a better racing horse and Cotton Fine. The plan was to run Dashing Solitaire as Cotton Fine, a lesser horse, so the odds would be higher. Unfortunately, Dashing Solitaire got hurt and couldn’t run. Gillespie, decided on another plan. He took a third
horse, Bold Personality and ran him as Cotton Fine. The horses looked little like Cotton Fine, but with some spray paint that problem was solved. The horse won the race, but was disqualified when paint was dripping down his legs. Both Gillespie and his trainer ended up in jail.
Gillespie‘s plan could have been influenced by this cheating scandal that took place in 1977. Dr. Mark Gerard, the former veterinarian for Triple Crown winner Secretariat, was asked to accompany two horses that were coming from Uruguay. Cinzano was a horse with winning potential, and the other horse Lebon did not. Sadly, Cinzano had an accident and had been certified as dead. Leblon won $80,000 at the Belmont Racetrack.
This would be a wonderful outcome, if a Uruguayan reporter declared that the horse was not Leblon, but the supposed dead horse Cinzano. Gerard was indicted and did jail time.
Doping of horses is more prevalent than one might think. In 2020, twenty seven people who were responsible for the care of horses were indicted for drugging horses with performance enhancing drugs. This included prominent trainers, veterinarians and drug distributors. One of the most notable doping scandals was Medina Spirit, the 2021 Kentucky Derby winner. He was found to have failed a drug test. Medina Spirit‘s trainer Bob Baffert‘s horses have failed 30 drug tests over 40 years. These drugs have harmed and killed a number of horses. On July 1, 2022 the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act will set out National standards for drugs and medication, as well as testing and enforcement.
There are so many cheating schemes that this article would be too long to hold your interest. So I decided to make this topic of cheating into two articles, so stay tuned for Cheater, Cheater part 2.
It seems the art of cheating can be found wherever there is an opportunity. In some cases cheaters got arrested, others fired or suspended from school and some received no retribution. Cheating can make things that are unobtainable, obtainable. However, those ill gotten gains are not success or winning. It’s a narcissistic way of thinking that I am smarter, slicker, cooler, than everyone else. You are not. You are a cheater and can’t make your way honestly.. There are those that may be envious of your bank roll, or success, but I personally can say WTH.
1 thought on “Cheater, Cheater Making Their Lives Easier”
On the sports front, don’t forget performance enhancing drugs taken by athletes like in baseball, football, boxing, and olympic events. On the school front, don’t forget bribes by the wealthy to get their kids accepted into this/that university.