Anatomy Of A Sting

Any credible accreditation official would have spotted Vieth's "school'' as an obvious fraud. Vieth and his staff gave Reuter plenty of clues. They included:

Latin phrases in the college's official seal, which translated into "Education is for the birds'' and "Everything from petty theft to highway robbery.''

College advisory board members who included Peelsburi Dobouy (alias Pillsbury Doughboy), Wonarmd Man (One-Armed Man), Eddie Haskell (a smarmy friend of Wally's in "Leave it to Beaver''), Arnold Ziffel (the pig in "Green Acres''), and Lawrence Fine (of the Three Stooges).

The college's library consisted of one small bookcase half-filled with books, including the college's marine biology text, The Little Golden Book of Fishes.

Reuter "accredited'' the bogus school. The state of Missouri sued Reuter under consumerfraud laws. Last fall, a judge ordered him to cease all accrediting activities in the state and to pay the state of Missouri $15,000.

--Lisa Jennings, Education Week

Web Only