Actress Felicity Huffman's 14-Day Prison Sentence Draws Ire and Ignites Outrage
Many were outraged after it was announced on Friday that actress Felicity Huffman received just a 14-day jail sentence for her role in the college admissions scandal in which some wealthy elites were accused of rigging the system so their children could enter top colleges.
“There is no justice. Not when the rich and the powerful, the amoral and the sleazy — liars, cheats and unspeakably entitled thieves of anything and everything they can snatch with their paws from honorable folk — get away with it, time and again,” New York Post columnist Andrea Peyser railed after the sentencing in federal court in Boston.
Peyser said the crime Huffman committed was not without consequences.
“I am tired. I’m tired of explaining how this is not a victimless crime, and Huffman not only helped to damage the integrity of higher learning, rendering diplomas worthless, but she attempted to swipe opportunity from another kid,” she wrote.
Huffman’s sentence is barely a speed bump for the actress, Peyser wrote.
“Two weeks (probably reduced in the long run), plus a fine of $30,000, 250 hours of community service and a year of supervised release, may sound like a big deal you and me. To Huffman, it’s less than an hour’s work, plus barely enough time to have her hair and makeup touched up. Maybe she’ll get a memoir or TV movie out of it,” Peyser said.
Many on social media agreed.
#felicity Huffman Only 14 days in prison is outrageous! You should get a minimum of 5 years! Your ridiculous sentence sends a chilling message to the entire country that the privileged get a “free pass” while average people pay an unfair huge price for their crimes!
— Charles W Roderus (@w_roderus) September 13, 2019
Felicity Huffman for lying and cheating & paying off college administrators money laundering
She got 14 days in jail pathetic!!
If she wasn’t a Hollywood elite the punishment would have been much greater
Like you and me would have spent months in jail
SUCKS #Felicity Huffman
— Ronald Lynn Kraus (@KrausLynn) September 13, 2019
Big deal. Explain that to all the kids who didn’t cheat&got passed over at the college of their choice.THOSE kids worked hard.She also took an income tax deduction, whether she paid it back or not. #Felicity #Huffman. Judge doesn’t seem to realize who it DID affect. Students.
— Carol Davies Wigley (@pinkbassist) September 13, 2019
Huffman is among 51 people charged in the scandal.
She pleaded guilty after she was accused of paying $15,000 to have her daughter’s SAT answers corrected so that her daughter would be more attractive to top colleges.
During Huffman’s trial, prosecutors wanted her to be locked up for 30 days. The defense argued against any jail time at all.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
