(News Focus) Fresh debate escalating over fake degree scandal

By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Yonhap) -- Two years after a fake degree scandal jolted South
Korean society, Dongguk University in Seoul and Yale University are still
battling over a "mistake" committed by the U.S. university in the process of
verifying a South Korean woman's doctorate.
Dongguk filed a new complaint alleging negligence when fresh evidence surfaced
indicating Yale knew it had mistakenly confirmed the false Yale Ph.D. of a then
Dongguk art professor, Shin Jeong-ah, Dongguk officials said Monday.
The amended suit alleges that after discovering its mistake, Yale waited for 11
days before notifying the U.S. Department of Justice, six weeks before notifying
Dongguk, and 10 weeks before issuing a public statement.
Earlier last month, lawyers for Dongguk submitted an amendment to their 2008
lawsuit against Yale, alleging "reckless disregard" and demanding compensation
of US$50 million for mistakenly verifying Shin's degree, and then denying the
mistake had occurred.
The legal wrangling between the two universities started in 2005, when Shin was
hired by Dongguk with a fake Yale doctorate.
Shortly after she was hired, her credentials were questioned, and Dongguk
officials requested that Yale confirm a letter provided by Shin, which stated
that she had earned a Yale Ph.D.
Pamela Schirmeister, an associate dean at Yale's graduate school, replied to
Dongguk officials that she herself had signed the letter confirming Shin's
doctorate, but had failed to check Shin's records, the lawsuit claimed.
In 2007, local media became aware of the problem, and Dongguk again asked Yale
about Shin's record. It was discovered that Shin never attended the school, and
the letter produced by Shin had been forged. However, Yale denied that Dongguk
had ever sent a letter asking for verification.
Local media blamed Dongguk, accusing the university of lying about having sent
Yale a letter asking for confirmation.
However, in December, Yale admitted and officially apologized for the error after
Korean prosecutors issued a subpoena to Yale.
Shin was later sentenced to 18 months in prison in April 2008 for fabricating her
degree and was released a year later.
Four months later, Dongguk University filed a $50 million suit, claiming
negligence by Yale had "ruined" the Korean university's "100-year-long
reputation."
It also alleged Yale's actions damaged its earnings in government grants and
donations, adding some professors stepped down in relation to the scandal.
In response to the Korean university's legal challenge, Yale officials claimed it
made "innocent mistakes" and it has issued official apology for it.
Yale spokesman Tom Conroy, in an interview with the New York Times, said last
week that there was "no negligence or recklessness." If the case goes to trial,
Conroy said the jury will consider the fact that Dongguk's board was convicted of
soliciting and receiving an illegal government subsidy from the former
professor's lover, who was then a senior presidential aide.
Outraged by the Yale's response, officials at Dongguk accused Yale of using the
allegation to shift the focus of the suit, denying the link between the funding
and Shin's lover.
"By mentioning a case that is not related to the legal suit, Yale is damaging our
reputation once again following the 2007 scandal," Han Jin-soo, vice-president of
Dongguk, told reporters Monday during a news conference. "We decided to make our
position clear, out of consideration that any more silence could have negative
influence on the suit."
Lawyers for Dongguk said they will take depositions from Yale officials in December.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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