Felicity Huffman is a free woman and apparently “White Privilege” wins again.
The 56-year-old actress was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California on Thursday according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons after serving just 11 days of an already lenient 14-day sentence after she entered a guilty plea to a charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
#BREAKING: Felicity Huffman Is a Free Woman https://t.co/1giUp789FG
— TMZ (@TMZ) October 25, 2019
She will now spend a year on probation for paying $15,000 for a proctor to falsify her daughter’s standardized aptitude test in order to get the teen a higher score.
Huffman became the first parent to receive a judgment in the college admissions scandal, as she was sentenced to 14 days in a federal prison for her role in the conspiracy that included 34 rich, and mostly white, parents that are believed to have paid thousands to better their children’s chances of admittance to elite colleges and universities.
https://twitter.com/carronJphillips/status/1173603682119815168
In the words of Shadow League writer, Carron J. Phillips “Huffman thought that her daughter was somehow disadvantaged despite all the perks that come along with being the child of two famous actors. That’s the thinking of a narcissist whose actions oppressed and affected people of color.
That mindset is what makes white privilege so dangerous. It’s an entitlement that tries to erase the concepts of race and socioeconomics, and the obstacles that people of color have historically been forced to hurdle.”
According to Complex, “The plot is alleged to have revolved around securing the admission of students to major universities as recruited athletes “regardless of their athletic abilities” and assisting prospective enrollees with exam cheats (i.e. SAT and ACT), per an NBC News report filed Tuesday.”
William Rick Singer, founder of a college prep business in Newport, is the alleged kingpin of the operation. Singer’s charges include racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., and obstruction of justice. He’s expected to plead guilty.
“Affected universities allegedly include Stanford, Georgetown, UCLA, and Yale. Among the dozens of people named in the indictment are multiple coaches, as well as Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. Huffman and husband William H. Macy are alleged to have given a ‘charitable donation of $15,000’ to participate in the scheme on behalf of their oldest daughter. Macy, however, is not listed in federal documents as among those hit with a charge.”
In one swoop, we see how the privileged parents of these children, in conjunction with trusted coaches, faculty and numerous third parties, design a system that further compounded the heavy odds against less privileged kids. So instead of receiving a well-deserved opportunity at a great education, they move further down the list behind those who can afford to pay their way to the top.
Her actions were egregious, but much like Amber Guyger who received sympathy for murdering a Black man in his home, Huffman received a slap on the wrist.
The state of California is getting praised for allowing their student-athletes to capitalize on their likeness and market themselves while in school — a complete reversal of previous financially inhibitive NCAA policy. However, it also missed a huge opportunity to protect the integrity of its academic system and establish a clear message that the organization won’t contribute to the racial, financial and political inequalities in educational opportunities in this country.
Huffman probably should have gotten more time, and we all know she wanted no time, but 11 days isn’t bad considering that Lori Loughlin is now facing 50 years if found guilty for getting her daughters into USC under false pretenses.
https://twitter.com/maskedscheduler/status/1186785026764992513
Having plead not guilty this spring to various federal charges from “Operation Varsity Blues,” the former Fuller House star and her husband Mossimo Giannulli is now facing a new bribery claim from the office of the U.S Attorney for Massachusetts. A new charge that potentially adds a decade more behind bars to the couple if found guilty at the trial expected next year.
In total, Loughlin is staring down the long road of 50 years in prison and around $1.23 million in fines.
Two very different uses of white privilege. Huffman bit the bullet, knowing that if she gave one last great acting performance, she’d probably be spared any further humiliation. Loughlin is still banking on her privilege to get off altogether.
Either way we are seeing America in motion.
