Erica Olsen and Kalea Woods are two Stanford students who have filed a lawsuit against Yale, USC, and more in the wake of the college admissions scandal.
The colleges that Woods and Olsen are suing are: Yale, USC, University of Texas at Austin, University of San Diego, Yale University, University of California Los Angeles, Wake Forest University, University of Southern California, and Georgetown University.
Now, the two students are saying their degree is worth less. In the complaint, the lawsuit states that Woods’ degree (along with Olsen’s) “is now not worth as much as it was before, because prospective employers may now question whether she was admitted to the university on her own merits, versus having rich parents who were willing to bribe school officials.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Olsen & Woods Lawsuit: Read in Full Below
Within the lawsuit, which you can read above in full, the lawsuit states that Olsen and Woods were both excellent students and athletes.
For Olsen in particular, the lawsuit reads in part, “Had she known that the system at Yale University was warped and rigged by fraud, she would not have spent the money to apply to the school. She also did not receive what she paid for — a fair admissions consideration process.”
What’s more, the lawsuit alleges that both students’ degrees at Stanford is now “damaged,” “because prospective employers may now question whether she was admitted to the university on her own merits, versus having rich parents who were willing to bribe school officials.”
The two women are represented by the Medler Law Firm and the Zimmerman Reed Law Firm.
2. Olsen Is a Member of the Stanford Dollies
Per the official site, the Stanford Dollies are a five-person dance team:
“Together, we make merry musical mayhem all over the Peninsula and the world. Dollies dance to the live music of the band with choreography entirely of their own design. Their style ranges from modern to ballet to jazz, but is always unique and impressive.
They can always be recognized, not only by their stunning attire, but also by their charming smiles and throng of adoring fans. Dollies are often involved in various dance ensembles on campus and off as members of and choreographers for many programs, but above all, the Dollies are the coolest thing to hit Stanford since open kitchen.”
Olsen’s involvement on the Dollies is mentioned in the lawsuit. The suit reads, “When the plaintiff applied to college, she had graduated from an accredited high school and passed all requirements for applying to college. She had stellar standardized test scores (ACT score 35 and SAT score of 2290). She also had athletic talent. She was a dancer and would later qualify for the Stanford elite dancing squad, representing the school at football and basketball games.”
Of the colleges mentioned, the lawsuit confirms that Olsen applied to, and was rejected from, Yale University.
3. Woods Is From Nevada, & Is Pre-Med at Stanford
According to a Stanford bio of Woods, she is pre-med at Stanford, works in a lab on campus, and is majoring in human biology.
Per the lawsuit, Woods is originally from Nevada. The lawsuit states that Woods’ ACT score was a 32, and her SAT was 2100.
Of the colleges mentioned, the lawsuit confirms that Woods applied to, and was rejected from, USC.
4. Woods & Olsens’ Lawsuit Is Set Up to Become a Class-Action Suit
Within the Stanford students’ lawsuit, the suit specifically stipulates that there is room for other students to join. More specifically, the lawsuit moves to speak on behalf of “all individuals who, between 2012 and 2018, applied to [the colleges mentioned, and] paid an admission application fee to one or more of these universities.”
The lawsuit seeks “compensatory damages in an amount which is fair and reasonable.”
5. Woods Has a Public Facebook Profile, But Olsen & Woods Both Have Private Instagram Accounts
Both women have private Instagram accounts, though Olsen can be seen often in the Stanford Dollies’ Instagram account, and Woods has a public Facebook account.
As of March 14, no other individuals have publicly added themselves to the class lawsuit. The amount that the suit seeks is completely vague.