On Wednesday, UNC released the long-awaited Wainstein Report, the result of an investigation into UNC’s academic fraud scandal by attorney Kenneth Wainstein that began in February 2014. Below is a timeline of the key events in the 4-year scandal, which began with an NCAA investigation into impermissible benefits that in turn revealed numerous academic concerns. Click on the links to learn more about any event.

2010

July 2010: NCAA launches investigation into UNC football program regarding improper financial ties between sports agents and players and improper academic help from a tutor

2011

June 2011: NCAA levels formal allegations against UNC stemming from their investigation into the football program

July – August 2011: Court documents and academic transcripts reveal football players Michael McAdoo and Marvin Austin took suspicious classes listed as being taught by Julius Nyang’oro, chair of the department then called African and Afro-American Studies (AFAM)

September 2011: Nyang’oro resigns as AFAM chair

2012

June 8, 2012: Most of the enrollment in suspect AFAM classes revealed to be athletes

July 1, 2012: Nyang’oro retires with $12,000 withheld from his final paycheck to cover payment for the 2011 class he never taught

August 11, 2012: Julius Peppers’ transcript released, revealing suspicious AFAM grades dating back more than a decade

August 15, 2012: Former governor Jim Martin and a management and consulting firm brought on to investigate AFAM department

December 20, 2012: Results of the Martin report reveals more than 200 classes that were suspected or confirmed never to have met and 560 suspicious grade changes dating back to 1994; the scandal is declared to be not an athletic one, but an academic one involving athletes

2013

June 8, 2013: Close relationship between Nyang’oro and athletic counselors revealed

The N&O reported that members of the academic support staff offered Nyang’oro football tickets and the chance to watch a game from the sidelines.

Sports agent Terry Watson

Sports agent Terry Watson

October 2, 2013: Five indictments issued relating to original charges of athletic financial improprieties 

An Orange County grand jury issued five indictments; names were not released at the time and the final two indictments were not unsealed until November. It was later revealed that the indicted were UNC tutor Jennifer Thompson (née Wiley), sports agent Terry Watson, Georgia-based real estate agent Patrick Mitchell Jones, former NCCU quarterback Michael Wayne Johnson, Jr. and Willie Barley.

December 2, 2013: Nyang’oro indicted for fraud

Nyang’oro appeared in court on December 3rd on the charge of obtaining property by false pretenses for accepting $12,000 for a UNC summer class he did not teach. Multiple news outlets reported that Nyang’oro did not speak in court and offered no comment before or following the appearance. He had appeared before a magistrate earlier in the day and was released on a $30,000 bail bond.

2014

January 6, 2014: Nyang’oro’s second court appearance scheduled; later postponed for April

Nyang’oro’s second scheduled court appearance for felony fraud charges was postponed.

January 8, 2014: Mary Willingham speaks to CNN, says a UNC basketball player can’t read or write

UNC clinical instructor and academic advisor Mary Willingham came under fire for saying that UNC athletes cannot read or write on a college level in a CNN interview; the University denied the claims. A former UNC dean later spoke out in support of Willingham and said the problem extends past revenue sports.

January 17, 2014: Willingham’s research methods criticized

A Faculty Council meeting led by Chancellor Folt discredited Willingham’s research methods. Provost Jim Dean stated, “My conclusion, based on working with the team doing the analysis, is that any claim made based on this data set is virtually meaningless.”

February 22, 2014: Wainstein hired to conduct investigation

Kenneth L. Wainstein, a 19-year veteran of the U.S. Justice Department, was hired to conduct yet another independent review of irregularities at the AFAM Department.

March 4, 2014: No criminal charges for former department manager Deborah Crowder

Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall announced that Deborah Crowder, former Department Manager of African and Afro-American Studies, would not face criminal charges, adding “She has cooperated during the investigation.” He stressed that the investigation was into criminal activity, not academic improprieties.

April 11, 2014: Willingham’s research methods discredited by independent review

Three independent experts discredit Willingham’s research, stating ““the data do not support the public claims about the students’ reading ability.”

Rashad McCants (courtesy of ESPN)

Rashad McCants (courtesy of ESPN)

June 6: Rashad McCants speaks to ESPN

Former UNC basketball player Rashad McCants claimed to have taken paper classes and to have had papers written for him by tutors and accused head basketball coach Roy Williams of knowing “100 percent” about these practices; Williams denied the claims and 16 basketball players offered a statement of support for their coach.
Click here for community members’ responses to McCants’ comments. 

June – July, 2014: Felony charge against Nyang’oro dropped in exchange for his cooperation

On June 24, a prosecutor announced that Nyang’oro had been cooperating with the investigation and that his felony fraud charge might be dropped; this was confirmed July 4.

October 22, 2014: UNC releases Wainstein Report