Adam Semprevivo, one of the students involved in the nationwide college admissions scandal, has dropped his lawsuit against the university. The lawsuit, filed in May, was an attempt to prevent Georgetown from rescinding his admission as a result of his falsified application.
Semprevivo’s father, Stephen Semprevivo, paid $400,000 to William Singer, the owner of the college consulting company that facilitated the admissions scandal. This payment was used to bribe former tennis coach Gordon Ernst to have Semprevivo admitted to the university as a tennis recruit. Following an FBI report, Stephen Semprevivo plead guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. The lawsuit claimed Semprevivo did not know of his father’s involvement with Ernst prior to his father being charged.
Mark Zaid, Semprevivo’s lawyer, explained the decision to abandon the lawsuit in an email to the Voice. “Adam decided to voluntarily dismiss his lawsuit in order to focus on successfully finishing his undergraduate degree and putting this matter behind him.”
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff accused the university of “having knowledge of the misdeeds of Coach Ernst and Semprevivo’s admission issues relating to Coach Ernst.” Yet, they argued, Georgetown accepted Semprevivo’s tuition payment after this realization, allowing him to continue taking classes. His legal team also suggested that Georgetown violated its Honor Council System Procedures by not disciplining him through the normal process afforded to students who commit infractions.
Included in the lawsuit’s prayers for relief, Semprevivo had also hoped to prevent the university from “barring” his three years of completed credits from being transferred to a new college or university.
“Consistent with our past practices, when we dismiss a student, a permanent notation is made on his/her transcript and we allow other institutions to determine if they will accept the credits,” wrote Georgetown spokeswoman Meghan Dubyak in an email to the Voice.
Dubyak released a statement on May 15 explaining the justification for the students’ dismissals. “Applicants to Georgetown affirm that the information and statements contained in their applications are true, correct and complete,” the statement reads. “Knowingly misrepresenting or falsifying credentials in an application can be cause for rescinding the admission of the student and dismissal from Georgetown.”
