After Nassau County authorities claimed that a 19-year-old took SAT exams for other students for pay and also charged the students with misdemeanors, lawyers are the accused have been taking exception to the allegations. According to WCBS 2, the students apparently had already worked with Great Neck High School officials and the DA's office: "They had their privileges revoked and served suspensions, but now claim they are victims of broken promises, that investigators allegedly led them to believe if students cooperated, they would face no further repercussions from the cheating scandal." Wait, there's immunity for SAT cheating?
Samuel Eshaghoff is accused of posing as six other students and taking their exam at different schools, using fake IDs at the testing sites (he even allegedly took a test for a girl whose name is gender-neutral). The DA's office says he charged $1,500 to $2,500, and he scored as high as 2220 out of 2400. The lawyer for one student who allegedly hired Eshaghoff says, “There was clearly an investigation with consequence and certainly the student that I represent went on with his life with the supposition that this matter was behind him," because his client is now in college. In other words, "cheaters can kind of win."
Meanwhile, more students may be implicated in the scam and State Senator Kenneth LaValle wants ETS to recommend strict security rules.
