Didn’t you sit next to me in that class?

What is it with school administrators cheating for talented athletes? Why would someone receiving a faux education brag about it on Twitter?

Tony Wroten Jr., a University of Washington basketball signee, has twitted his way into trouble and thankfully exposed an academic scandal at a Seattle public high school, Garfield High. Seattle Times’ reporter Mason Kelly found that Wroten and two of his friends, also basketball players, were students in a non-existing Spanish class. The “teacher” of the class was Garfield’s athletic director, Jim Valiere, who would ask Wroten and his two friends Spanish questions while passing each other in the hallway.

Ted Howard, the principal of the school, initially signed off on the Spanish class for the three students because he thought those kids and their parents deserved credit and also an education. Meanwhile Washington state budget cuts are forcing more kids into individual classrooms with fewer teachers on the payroll. These students get a class of three?

Wroten twitted, "just me and my 2 bros. we got a 3 person Spanish class. #Niccceeee."

Once Kelly exposed the scandal Valiere was immediately fired on April 11. Still fighting for his job, Valiere was quoted saying, "The investigation they had going was just to find more dirt to try and bury me. I was really trying to teach them Spanish. I really wanted them to learn."

After Kelly’s story was published, Wroten got tough with Kelly via Twitter…  on Twitter again? "Lol this guy @masonkelley be lying. Lol we r retarded now? Lol yea OK. I guarantee it wouldn't even b a story if MY name wasn't in it. Lol Its koo though cause you will NEVER get another interview with me. Never again. Now retweet that. Lol."

Just to clarify, I understand certain individuals get certain privileges that may not be available to all of us but this is above and beyond. Some students may need extra help outside of the classroom in the form of tutoring, etc… But to “teach” a kid that it is okay to cheat, “teach” that student that academics are not important because you can play basketball, and “teach” that student that it is okay to not take accountability for your actions… what is our society coming to? Few kids have chores to do on the farm anymore thus they have to drop out of school to help the family’s only means of survival. These kids and students just like them will have to work in the real world someday. How are we preparing them? Where were Wroten's parents during this situation?

The sad thing about our current school systems is our teachers basically cannot fail a student anymore. They are passed along the way because of rules and budget restrictions. My fears are for Wroten and his future. Hopefully he will be able to receive a quality education at some point especially if he does not have a NBA career. Even scarier is the thought of his friends. What will become of their future?

As this is the fault of Garfield High and their administrators, is Wroten to be punished for what happened; more so than he realizes by receiving a lack of a quality education? And if he is to be punished, how do they punish him? Should he be given a failing grade thus being forced to go to a community college, a prep school, or repeat his senior year? What will University of Washington now do with this information? Will they honor the scholarship they offered him because he is a top recruit? Or will they take an academic high road and suggest Wroten play somewhere else?

Unfortunately we all know the answer to this one, Wroten will be enrolled at UW next fall and shooting jumpers come basketball season. Sad, sad, situation.