Preston Mizell writes for FoxNews.com about a disturbing revelation involving one California school district.
An extensive audit revealed a California school district allegedly issued diplomas to students in China in addition to potentially “unlawful financial practices associated with the district’s international program.”
The Val Verde Unified School District (VVUSD) in Riverside, California, was audited by the county’s superintendent of schools in a more than 1,000-page review that alleges the VVUSD gave unauthorized diplomas to nonresident, Chinese students at the district’s “sister school,” Pegasus California School, in Qingdao, China.
“Our audit, commissioned by Dr. Gomez, raises serious concerns about academic integrity, taxpayer fraud, and may even implicate national security,” Larson LLP partner Stephen G. Larson told Fox News Digital. “We found that a California public school district improperly issued diplomas to students in China, and the broader record shows those California credentials may have been used to create false legitimacy for students seeking entry into American universities.”
Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez had authority to commission the audit under Education Code section 1241.5(b) after a 2021 Business Insider investigative report raised questions about the school district.
“Our responsibility is to safeguard the integrity of public education and ensure that taxpayer resources are used lawfully and transparently,” Gomez said in a statement.
“This audit identified serious concerns that merit further review by the appropriate authorities,” Gomez added. “We will continue to act with integrity, follow the law, and ensure that the interests of students and the public remain at the center of every decision.”
The audit identified evidence that California high school diplomas “may have been issued to students who did not meet applicable legal or residency requirements,” and that fraud and illegal fiscal practices were present in the school district.
Fox News Digital sat down with Riverside County Sheriff and GOP gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco, who told Fox that the questionable partnership with the Chinese school is an example of corruption and fraud that exists across California.
