A Massachusetts father who said he was falsely accused in the “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal is suing USC and Netflix over their alleged roles in his conviction which was later overturned.
John Wilson, a former executive at Staples and Gap, was one of 33 parents who were charged in the 2019 bribery scandal that involved allegedly helping their children gain admittance to several top universities.
In 2021, he was convicted of fraud, conspiracy and bribery before the charges were later dropped in 2023 after judges said the government failed to prove an “overarching conspiracy” between Wilson and Rick Singer, the college counselor behind the admissions scheme who was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.
-
The thank you letter John Wilson received from the university following his donation to USC. (John Wilson) -
John Wilson, left, arrives at federal court, April 3, 2019, with his wife Leslie to face charges in a nationwide college admissions bribery scandal in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File) -
John Wilson is pictured with his wife and three children. (Wilson Family) -
FILE – In this March 12, 2019 file photo, William “Rick” Singer founder of the Edge College & Career Network, departs federal court in Boston, after he pleaded guilty to charges in a nationwide college admissions bribery scandal. The first trial in the “Operation Varsity Blues” college admissions bribery scandal will begin this week, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021 with the potential to shed light on investigators’ tactics and brighten the spotlight on a secretive school selection process many have long complained is rigged to favor the rich. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) -
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 03: Lori Loughlin exits the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse after appearing in Federal Court to answer charges stemming from college admissions scandal on April 3, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images) -
MALIBU, CA – APRIL 21: Designer Mossimo Giannulli and actress Lori Loughlin attend the Malibu Lumber Yard grand opening held at the Malibu Lumber Yard on April 21, 2009 in Malibu, California. (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage) -
Actress Lori Loughlin (C) and husband Mossimo Giannulli (C rear) exit the Boston Federal Court house after a pre-trial hearing with Magistrate Judge Kelley at the John Joseph Moakley US Courthouse in Boston on August 27, 2019. – Loughlin and Giannulli are charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in the college admissions scandal. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP) (Photo credit should read JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images) -
TOPSHOT – Actress Felicity Huffman, escorted by her husband William H. Macy, makes her way to the entrance of the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse September 13, 2019 in Boston, where she will be sentenced for her role in the College Admissions scandal. – Huffman, one of the defendants charged in the college admissions cheating scandal, is scheduled to be sentenced for paying $15,000 to inflate her daughters SAT scores, a crime she said she committed trying to be a good parent. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images) -
TOPSHOT – Actress Felicity Huffman, escorted by her husband William H. Macy, exits the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston, where she was sentenced by Judge Talwani for her role in the College Admissions scandal on September 13, 2019. – Actress Felicity Huffman gets 14 days jail in US college admissions scandal (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images) -
Lori Loughlin departs federal court Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, in Boston, after a hearing in a nationwide college admissions bribery scandal. At far right is her husband, clothing designer Mossimo Giannulli. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) -
Investor John Wilson, left, arrives at federal court in Boston with his wife Leslie in this Wednesday, April 3, 2019 file photo, to face charges in a nationwide college admissions bribery scandal. The first trial in the college admissions bribery scandal opened Monday, Sept. 13, 2021, with defense attorneys seeking to portray the two parents accused of buying their kids’ way into school as victims of deception who believed their payments were legal donations. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File) -
John Wilson, second left, holds his wife’s hand, second right, as he leaves the John Joseph Moakley Federal Courthouse after the first day of his trial in the college admissions scandal on Sept.13, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Stew Milne) -
John Wilson and his wife arrive at federal court on Oct. 7, 2021, in Boston. Wilson and another parent Gamal Abdelaziz, are the first to stand trial in the college admissions bribery scandal, in which wealthy parents used lies and money to steal coveted spots at prestigious schools their kids couldn’t secure on their own, according to a prosecutor. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds) -
The iconic Tommy Trojan statue stands posed at the University of Southern California campus in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) -
The University of Southern California campus in Los Angeles California. (KTLA) -
The Galen Center is seen on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, in Los Angeles. Bronny James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James, is hospitalized in stable condition a day after going into cardiac arrest while participating in a basketball practice at the University of Southern California. A family spokesman said USC medical staff treated the 18-year-old James on Monday at Galen Center and he was transported to a hospital. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Wilson said the case ruined his life and career while claiming the legal fees cost him his life savings.
He filed a lawsuit against the University of Southern California for its alleged role in his wrongful conviction. He’s also suing Netflix for defamation for what he described as an inaccurate depiction of him and his son in the film, “Operation Varsity Blues.”
He remembers the moment when his world was turned upside down as he arrived in Houston from an international business trip and was surrounded by FBI agents.
“They said, ‘You’re being arrested with like 50 other people and it’s related to cheating on tests and bribing coaches and faking profiles,’” he told KTLA’s Mary Beth McDade. “I said, ‘What? I didn’t do any of that.’”
The case quickly drew national media attention as several high-profile defendants such as actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, actress Felicity Huffman and more.
However, Wilson said he had no reason to bribe anyone or cheat on any tests. He said his son, Johnny, had excellent test scores and was a nationally-ranked water polo player.
“I said, ‘We went to USC. My son played on the USC team. We didn’t do anything fake,” Wilson said. “We gave money to the school. We got receipts from the school. We didn’t cheat on any tests.”
In 2010, Wilson had hired an L.A.-based independent college advisor named Rick Singer to tutor and advise his son on the USC college admissions process. Singer had come highly recommended to Wilson.
When Singer recommended Wilson make a $100,000 donation to USC through Singer’s charity, he checked with USC’s assistant athletic director first.
“He verified that donating through Singer’s organization was fine,” Wilson recalled. “It had been done many times in the past and this was a common practice at USC.”
USC later sent Wilson a thank you letter confirming they received the donation to the water polo team. His son went on to play for USC in 2014 as a freshman.
But when Wilson was caught up with Singer’s other clients, people who actually paid for falsified academic records or tests or made donations in exchange for admission, he said he wouldn’t go down without a fight to clear his name.
“We didn’t cheat on any tests,” he said. “We made a donation to the school and got receipts. I was facing 180 years of prison time.”
Wilson also alleges USC lied about his donation which prosecutors later claimed was a bribe.
Prior to Wilson’s trial, Netflix produced a documentary on the case, “Operation Varsity Blues,” in which Wilson claims he and his children were falsely and negatively portrayed.
“They interspersed me so frequently that everyone assumed I had cheated on tests, that I had bribed coaches and that my children were all unqualified,” he said. “None of that was true.”
Wilson refused a plea deal, intent on proving his innocence and protecting his children’s future. He was convicted at his first trial, but continued to fight and was exonerated on appeal with all the core convictions overturned.
After Wilson said he spent his life savings on the case, he is suing USC for their alleged role in his wrongful conviction.
“I want USC to tell the truth and I want them to correct the record,” he said. “I want them to address some of the financial hardships that they cost us.”
For the Netflix documentary Wilson, filed a defamation lawsuit against the entertainment company.
“They smeared me and my son through innuendo and it was devastating because the broad reach that Netflix had was amazing,” he said.
“For Netflix, we’re in the discovery phase,” said William Tanenbaum, Wilson’s attorney. “They filed a motion to dismiss. We were successful in opposing the motion to dismiss.”
Wilson said he wants those who have harmed his family to be held accountable and he will continue to fight to clear his family’s name.
“This has been the most devastating thing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” He said. “You can’t imagine what it’s like seeing your children affected this way, your hard-working innocent children.”
USC claims the lawsuit has no merit and university officials said they’ve made significant changes in their athletics admissions process since the case. Netflix did not provide a comment on the case.
