USC probing alleged cheating by Missouri arena's namesake

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS -- The University of Southern California is probing allegations that the Wal-Mart heiress who is the namesake of the new sports arena at the University of Missouri cheated her way through that California school, according to a local television station.

KSDK-TV said Monday the inquiry comes three days after ABC newsmagazine ''20/20'' cited Elizabeth Paige Laurie, who graduated from the University of Southern California, during a segment on the prevalence of cheating in college.

The ''20/20'' report was based on an interview with Laurie's freshman roommate, Elena Martinez, who said Laurie paid her about $20,000 over 3 1/2 years to write papers and complete other assignments.

On Monday, a University of Southern California official said the matter was ''disappointing and strikes at the heart of integrity.''

''One must do one's own work. One must not ask others to do work for them and try to get an unfair advantage over other students,'' said Michael Jackson, the school's vice president of student affairs.

KSDK said that as part of the investigation, the school would contact 22-year-old Laurie and her former roommate.

Laurie's family has declined comment, saying in a statement to ''20/20'' that ''Paige Laurie's college record is a private matter.''

Martinez told the newsmagazine she began helping Laurie as an effort to befriend her during their freshman year.

Martinez later dropped out of college because she couldn't afford the tuition, but she said Laurie continued to seek her help on homework assignments.

Despite an outcry from some fans who said the arena should be named after Missouri basketball coaching legend Norm Stewart, Laurie's parents have said they named the arena in Columbia the Paige Sports Arena because they were proud of their daughter. They donated $25 million to kick-start the building campaign for the new arena.