How Viral Videos Masked a Louisiana Prep School’s Problems | NYT News

T.M. Landry College Prep, a small private school in Louisiana, boasted about its record of sending black students from working-class families to top universities. But there’s more to the story. Read our full investigation here: nyti.ms/2zxJMXD
This portrait of T.M. Landry emerged from interviews with 46 people: parents of former Landry students; current and former students; former teachers; and law enforcement agents.
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[@serenaruvalcaba6504]

Nearly $800 and no desks, no teachers, no books, and nobody was questioning this?

[@mrblackalchemist]

Serena Ruvalcaba nah this is America and with Jesus anything is possible!

[@jaely0]

mrblackalchemist lmao you’re joking right

[@prycebell5420]

Jaely ya

[@jordanjj6996]

800?

[@_altruistic_6869]

@@jordanjj6996 a month

[@Mastro_]

No one questions that the school is in a warehouse.

[@TruthSeeker310]

not to mention the lack of proper desks or chairs smh. Wonder how the students admitted to the IV leagues performed on their ACT/SATs. Those results couldn't possibly be falsified, could they?

[@D0NtPh34rTh3R34p3R]

@@TruthSeeker310 students were only taught enough to pass the sat/act. They practiced for it.

[@aniyahsmith121]

D0NtPh34rTh3R34p3R that does not make sense cause they take the act in Baton Rouge they can not practice it dumb people fr

[@aniyahsmith121]

Sailtothemoon mine your business

[@D0NtPh34rTh3R34p3R]

@@aniyahsmith121 teachers have access to copies of old tests. There is a lot of work that goes into making these tests effective, but they're not perfect. Not to mention the possibility of forged documents or a corrupt proctor. There's a non-trivial amount of money involved in this scam, I wouldn't rule anything out.

[@jenwhite8832]

I went to a school similar to this for three years when I was young. When I finally got out and went to a real school, I was put in high level classes because of my grades, and then promptly failed everything. I caught up eventually because I was young, but it took something from me. This school is far from the only one

[@ritaamor283]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@thatonekid9400]

If I may be so bold as to guess... A Sudbury school?

[@-Teague-]

Sorry to hear that, hope you got into good schools after that

[@jenwhite8832]

@@thatonekid9400 no, but I have heard about Sudbury schools and always wondered about their long-term prospects…I’m assuming it’s not good?

[@jenwhite8832]

@Crow why are the teachers in these schools always abusive? I was straight up scared of our teachers and had nightmares about them

[@UsernameSaraWithNoH]

So what happens when they go to Stanford, or Harvard, or Brown and they’re swallowed up by the curriculum because they were unprepared due to the lack of education at this school? Setting them up for failure.

[@mnkwazi]

@Sara A well it did not end well.

[@valek7700]

@@mnkwazi Why did everyone in that area recommend this school?

[@stansman5461]

Not so fun fact: That's also a side effect of Affirmative Action

[@kure2658]

they literally dont. the video is saying that they fake the results but the childs never know till they done with the school so they r way unlevel for any highschool how u gonna get accepted without basic classes.

[@ASmith-jn7kf]

Harvard sucks, all those school sucks, every school in this country is useless. No one is educated now except for homeschoolers and Christians. Everyone else is brainwashed.

[@harrystylesequalscutiepie857]

"No class rooms No walls No books" *w a r e h o u s e*

[@frowning4580]

harrystyles equals cutiepie I k n o w r i g h t

[@invared]

Lol a high school near my house used to be a warehouse

[@jimmyp9105]

@@invared but did it have walls, desks, books?

[@TheRandyns]

Anhhhhhhhhhh hahahhahhahahahahhahahahahaaaaa

[@rovasphoto5233]

harrystyles equals cutiepie Lmaooo and ain't no way that many black people getting into IVY Leagues

[@Onnethox]

Looks like a cult warehouse

[@iminyomommy7889]

all schools are warehouses... with walls

[@Danyymao]

Wait, isn't *all* school like prison like teachers tell you what to do when.

[@sahayeda5220]

it literally used to be a machine warehouse lol

[@_noigbdot]

Faxxxxxx

[@FD-ug1vj]

@@Danyymao that's prison. this, looks like a cult

[@grahhhhy]

When people say "failure is not an option" it gets on my nerves. Without failure, you will never succeed. When you fail, you learn so that you can avoid it. Everytime you hit the bottom, you're able to get back up stronger than before. You may go through something that you thought you couldn't possibly survive. But then you do, and you realize you're so much stronger than you could even imagine. The failures we go through shape us and give us the wisdom to succeed.

[@jasmineli6365]

Failure teaches us things that we won't learn in a curriculum. Persistence, perserverance, grit, ability to handle failure and learn from it. Failure is a lesson in itself, and failure should always be encouraged

[@robwalsh9843]

Whether you're learning chemical engineering, jazz piano or plumbing, you're going to fail in the beginning. You'll screw up and make mistakes, because that's how the process works. "Failure is not an option" is a slogan for getting people out of a burning building alive, not education!

[@isaiahc.530]

but that’s not what schools teach overall…there is no room for failure in schools. you fail you don’t go to a good college; You don’t get a good job etc. i understand it’s other ways to be successful and that failure is apart of life but school is not a safe environment for that.

[@paegr]

Failure is not an option in school because modern school is not about learning.

[@isaiahc.530]

@@paegr facts. it feels like slavery half of the time and manipulation the other

[@dreamcaught3876]

“no trained teachers” “100% acceptance rate” ive never heard of this school but people really just accepted that as true?

[@Just_A_Guy_Here.]

Im your 100th liker here & bye.

[@whiteboysushi]

Moral of the story: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

[@rafquizzle]

lmaooo

[@n1a316]

I literally just watch an Elizabeth Holmes documentary before this

[@amor2874]

They could still be operating this operation if they didn’t have 100% college acceptance rates.

[@DM-it1qf]

When the kids say they teach themselves, that should have been a red flag. Adults don’t study to become teachers for nothing.

[@miaplayz1472]

Andrew Bryson 💯

[@NegatingSilence]

A private school targeting black kids in a big garage with classes with no teachers and a 100% college acceptance rate and a pastor-like guy running the place; how could you possibly not realize something is up.

[@nopenoway446]

UnitSe7en I agree with this fella.

[@Kriskazam]

Desperation and stress can break down any strong and intelligent person to fall for anything

[@eve36368]

White people on TV are stupid?

[@ommo]

$875 a month.

[@DanTweekStudios]

@@ommo Seriously! That's all I could think when they showed their "school" was just an empty warehouse! Charging that much for students and you can't even buy some drywall!? Nah, It just adds to the "we do it diffrint here" appeal I guess. You know every penny went to Mr. Mike himself... Certified teachers require a salary. So no certified teachers. Or no teachers at all!

[@emmalu1271]

big respect for the girl who stepped up and took action to talk about her former school.

[@artisticnerd-ph5mo]

In 2017, I was in an intro biology class at my college and had a lab partner who really struggled in the class. I always wondered why they seemed so unprepared compared with other students in the class. When news reports about this school came out and I realized that they went to this high school, I finally understood what was going on. I feel so sorry for all the students and families who had to go through this. I know two students at my college who went to this high school. Both of them struggled a lot but were able to graduate. I wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

[@lexicon1913]

In one sense, I hope this is a takeaway. These kids can succeed, they just need a just and thorough preparation.

[@FRISHR]

This sounds more like a cult than a school.

[@binklol]

@i hol’ up

[@lmao9526]

fr this is so disgusting the founders should go to jail

[@goober09]

It is

[@highkit]

Or some sort of a concentration camp.

[@suziyard9465]

@@highkit lmao what??

[@lexa1860]

How is the school for a “working class community” if it cost $800 a month to attend??

[@alek488]

Alexis Armstrong I know a school that has a 100% college acceptance rate, (it’s pretty believable the school is one of the best in the state), and it costs 50,000k to go there....

[@rovasphoto5233]

alek lmaooo isnt that the one Connecticut

[@blurbthenerd]

$800/month for a private school is peanuts

[@Timothee_Chalamet_CMBYN]

Lmao right?

[@Timothee_Chalamet_CMBYN]

Blurb this a school In the hood though

[@charlene6306]

Parents didn’t question the lack of facilities and teaching taking place in an aircraft hanger 🤦🏾‍♀️

[@zs7238]

I can relate to this so much, having gone through an elite high school in China. Classmates were enemies, but we did have a lot of very strict, almost sadistic teachers, and no holidays. I still have nightmares of that time.

[@Laura-qy7rc]

That sounds awful, I'm sorry

[@gaeig]

Exactly as an Indian, the quote "Failure is not an option", " Go big or go home" are all too relatable and normalized in our education system and although corporal punishment was not a thing in institutions my mother spitting on me for not being able to get good grades, it's just traumatizing. Never thought this could happen in America as well

[@701delbronx8]

You were actually learning something though. These kids were just doing coloring books and twerking lessons

[@shaneintegra]

They both need prison time. That's absolutely pathetic what they were doing to those kids

[@PrimeTF]

I won't be satisfied unless they're given life sentence or death sentence.

[@killasam1951]

You're telling me you're a kid you're dumb as f*** you but want to get into Harvard like how?

[@Godhelpus62]

PrimeTF That won’t happen. They will be sued and lose their school and everything they own probably. But no way they’ll get life when child molesters and kidnapping get only a handful of years. I hope some kids will prosecute criminally and not just civilly.

[@MakedaPhillips]

Exactly! They messed those kids up. Those kids deserve justice.

[@kitykity434]

Hey they acheive results

[@CC-fo7oh]

I wanna go to school in an empty Costco too. Yep. Totally.

[@pompompurin2006]

Yeah, and pay thousands of dollars to teach myself the work

[@minteaskullz]

I would like to go to a empty Toys R Us

[@smileandlaughs]

You'd probably get a better education at Costco.

[@spacedoodles]

It’s Isa empty Sams Club

[@americanpatriot3667]

thefluffybunbun _ thousands? Kid it was 600 dollars a month

[@KevinEF]

Imagine getting into college then flunking out immediately since you weren't actually taught anything in your high school.

[@strawwberryyy]

"teachers with no certifications, classes with no teachers at all" - hello???

[@Mellon-Collie]

Hiiiiii

[@gabbidurham]

It’s literally a warehouse with chairs why are they surprised

[@ninofromkitchennightmares1497]

Gabbi Durham No It’s A Empty Storage Unit That Some Couple Rented And Started A Fake School to Steal Family’s Money And Get kids to Go to University’s Only to Drop our because they do not know a Thing Because they went to a fake school

[@Marthyrichardson]

When something looks good on paper you don't questionit, especially when your own options are limited. These people saw a demand and took advantage of it

[@thenurseinblack1810]

They're not surprised. They're exposing them.

[@oliviarichman6035]

yeah the idea of an open communal space isn’t bad but usually they would still have comfortable furniture, study areas and decor. screams scam.

[@alegria1813]

Sorry but you gotta be dumb to send your kid there

[@hannahhelton3789]

I hate when people say “failure is not an option” when it comes to academics. That’s not what learning is like at all.

[@orson9880]

This school lies and cheats. Transcript Fraud etc

[@Alisasi]

In our school we say you need to fail because First Attempt Is Learning.

[@JayneBeremasBrooks]

Alisasi Precisely 😌

[@TheOfficialBrettS]

I’ve never failed to learn something.

[@mothman4672]

Eyes Wide Shut aight so you’ve been scoring 1600’s on your SAT and 100’s on all your tests since you were born? lmao

[@brianmccullough2420]

Props to NYT for digging a little deeper and not getting lost in the sauce.

[@lflagr]

As a former high school teacher, I wish we could stop measuring student success by college "readiness" and acceptance. I wish we could stop trying to get EVERY high school student into college, because college is not for everyone. I miss the days of having trade skills education in the schools, and I wish more people would realize that vocational-technical/trade work can be just as rewarding and lucrative as a college education (does anyone realize how much a plumber makes nowadays?!?!!?)

[@hpa2005]

Agreed, I will always say that while we will always need teachers, doctors and those jobs that require four or more years of post high school education we also need plumbers, electricians, carpenters, mechanics and other jobs that, at most, only need one year of education after high school

[@jip230]

This is so horrible - they cheated an entire generation of students out of an education. They ought to be sent to prison and forced to pay for each of these child's education and tutoring

[@franksfoodreviews4218]

Touting a 100% college acceptance rate is NOT education, it’s prepping kids for standerdized tests and entrance exams. This schooled is not accredited and therefore has no academic standards. College acceptance is the only standard.

[@anon81239]

They dont even do that tho, they fake the scores

[@fogg0]

epocs white women benefit the best from affirmative action. Go back under your rock troll.

[@fogg0]

AssasinArsenal47 Sorry you that you feel like that’s how it is way. If you mean more privileged than they did in the 1900s. I mean I hope they do.

[@budyfixit]

@@fogg0 where you getting that stat🤣

[@Somelikeitthrift]

They robbed those students of time, something you can NEVER get back.

[@HouseofWeh]

Issa Rae's Body Double think of how much more productive they could have been on Snapchat.

[@ShanteRoxxane]

Issa Rae's Body Double And a real education. As well as respect. Physically abusing them certainly had an impact.

[@dl5fse990]

Especially at those young developmental stages where you can learn so much

[@dingding267]

Issa Rae's Body Double In louisiana the education system is very bad anyway.

[@atypicaljasmine4842]

It’s at least 25% of their lives at that time!!

[@indiamae3599]

I went to a college prep school and the culture is very toxic at times, going to a 4 year university is the only thing that matters, other options are not important or discussed. The education for me was great and the teachers were the best ever and genuinely cared for me and others but the culture between the students was so competitive

[@miltonhayek2494]

My son was at a charter academy when he was very young. He has hearing loss on one side, which causes him to become bored, as use less of his mental faculties because the aren't engaged in the learning process. The school was provided equipment from the state to assist in his learning. They wouldn't use it and routinely sent him home in the middle of the day. My wife and I went to the school to figure out what was going on. They told us that he wasn't intelligent enough to learn what they were teaching. The problem is that our son had been tested at U of M on multiple occasions to see if it was an intelligence related issue. It wasn't. It was a hearing related issue. After doing this for a half of a year the school said they would have to fail him. And, they said this would probably be the case the following year. We where shocked. They were the ones that did this. They where the ones that sent him home. Then they were not only failing him for the current year, but the next year. I'd never even heard of a school doing this. We pulled him out of the school and went to our local public school. The principal said that he would struggle, as he was over a year behind his class! That it would take several years for him to catch up. But, he said it was up to us, that he would need our help, and that the school would create an IEP to assist at school. Time went by and one day I was at the school and the principle walked by. He said that he wanted to tell me something. He said, "I was wrong. Your son is nearly caught up. I can't believe the transition. He's the talk of the school!" Later he received a diploma for getting off academic probation. He's still young, so he doesn't get what he accomplished. It was an amazing achievement. He still has problems in school because he has some attention span issues, which may or may not be related to the hearing. But the school works with us. Its the reason we still live here. The school makes a big difference in how your children do. But you have to take part in it as well. I hope the best for all of the kids in this video.

[@TsunamiHead62]

This needs to be longer than a 6 minute video, I need like a 1 hour documentary

[@iamsuperblack4752]

On Netflix with 4 to 8 episodes

[@MaxVolumeMusicMixes]

Keenan Thomas Um no, sorry that’s just wrong. Are you saying everything over an hour should just be seen as entertainment? Lol, wat.

[@MaxVolumeMusicMixes]

Keenan Thomas Personally, I think it is important to fully explore such a claim. Idk, for me, I much rather have something like this explained in FULL. Because, it allows multiple different perspectives. It’s important. Not everything over an hour is entertainment. Is raw footage of war entertainment? No, it’s FOOTAGE. But I mean, even if it WAS entertainment, that is what a documentary is! I don’t see your point. Documentaries are an important genre of film and personally want to see more of it.

[@MaxVolumeMusicMixes]

Keenan Thomas Lol, yes, ALLLLL was explained. No it was not man, the BIGGEST details are talked about, but you know for a fact more could be expanded on. There’s tons more you could go into with this. How they did it? The abuse? Etc etc etc.

[@MaxVolumeMusicMixes]

Keenan Thomas What is wrong with wanting to know a full story? There’s a reason I rather watch a podcast than a 10 minute interview talk shows.

[@War666]

So this is where lil pump went to get into Harvard

[@somerandomguy7235]

How dare you steal my picture.

[@somerandomguy7235]

@@War666 Don't make me come for you Craig

[@War666]

@woficnwoap ohyeayea nah fam

[@iChewMayoi]

lmao

[@Alexa-ll6kl]

tea

[@astarisborn9820]

I wonder if these kids had their admissions rescinded or ended up failing out of school? Because, if they never took demanding classes or got the grades their doctored transcript said,they are no better than Olivia Jade and her parents and the school administrators/administration need to be prosecuted and go to jail!

[@abcxyz9852]

"treat them like family" "failure is not an option" ABORT MISSION.

[@oof1291]

this school is producing top notch actors, not students

[@Outplays_]

How

[@francescabailey7550]

foxguy 30 they make the students act their part of becoming a 100% Ivy League student, but the people who are running the school just want them to act there part of doing that

[@francescabailey7550]

bend over 😂 true

[@MYNAMEISKLAY]

@BobsAndVagene truth. They taught them how to take the tests, but failed to teach them how to succeed and prosper.

[@nkwari]

You mean top notch PTSD victims.

[@Logansworld92]

This is an educational cult

[@mountassaralimi8884]

That's an oxymoron :)

[@evancontreas]

It’s just a cult.

[@fudgenugget8875]

I wouldn't say educational. I'd be surprised if that guy could comprehend high school courses.

[@Drvm614]

education is a cult

[@deadly2881]

MATH MATH MATH MATH MATH

[@ceecee8757]

I hope that Landry couple is behind bars!!

[@sneakerhead6625]

if the fact that their school was just in an empty warehouse wasn’t a sign, idk what was

[@le8267]

This is why we need more journalists to expose the truth

[@capsman09]

I'm surprised Julian Assange wasn't behind the exposure.

[@alexanderchristopher6237]

@@capsman09 wasn't he already in jail?

[@garfels5117]

Yes, I agree. But unfortunately it isn’t that simple.

[@angelofdeath275]

true journalists are absolutely hated

[@kidneydude1]

@k x . . . Try international news outlets. Several work in English. France 24, Deutsche Welle, NHK, for example.

[@dionysus9876]

I get immediately suspicious of any place that refers to the members, employees, students, etc. of their organization as a family. Naw bro, I got a real family and we ain't even tight like that, I'm good.

[@mrduckling1995]

I'm suspicious of schools that hit their students, thought that tradition died out

[@de6hl]

@S. M. Odion-Smith Hey *fam*

[@cam15432]

@@mrduckling1995 it’s still apparently legal in 19 states which is just awful.

[@delsol2lowz]

right?..so weird.

[@lql1094]

So true.

[@jeremymccommons7741]

My school has one of the highest college acceptance rates in the country among non-private schools. The school has a program intended to make sure that every single student, without exception, gets coaching on how to do a college application, and how to make sure that the student can find a good college, with an even better scholarship. The problem? The students who graduate our school graduate college at one of the single lowest rates in the country. My school is incredibly lenient on due dates, and will do everything in its power to make sure that the assignment you missed on the first day of the semester, gets graded. Even if you turn it in on the last day of the semester. While this helps with grades, it doesn't help students get prepared for college. The majority of those who get accepted to college were used to turning in assignments from January in May. These students weren't ready to turn in assignments from January 1st on January 2nd. Since I learned that, every time I see a school with a high college acceptance rate, it's an instant look away from me. I'm not looking to get to college, I'm looking to graduate.

[@servingcant]

They taking advantage of their own...? Yikes.

[@jakayraowens3730]

“Go big, or go home” IM GOING HOME 😭😂

[@gabrielpogue6647]

Lmao

[@catwoman3098]

Yesss period sis

[@miaplayz1472]

Jakayra Owens NO YALL ARE GOING TO JAILLL

[@catwoman3098]

watergod 83 I just realized it was cringe thanks for telling me Idk why I was like that I never acted like this before until now

[@eevee1583]

That's a daily mood

[@Godhelpus62]

Kids teaching each other from books without a teacher? Why didn’t parents question this? What was the $800/month tuition paying for?

[@JamButter123]

Godhelpus Please only parents who never have gone to school before or dropped out of HS. That’s big problem for them.

[@472_d3]

Lol I had a teacher like that for 2 years.... The entire class didn't even know what we had to study

[@m0ldy_cupcake]

Because the parents are dumb and ignorant. Most likely didn’t have an education either

[@carlycrays2831]

@@m0ldy_cupcake I don't think they're dumb. They're just desperate and wanted to believe that there was some secret formula that could help their kid.

[@m0ldy_cupcake]

Carly Crays Bruh if you’re paying $800/mo to drive your kid to an empty warehouse without books or teachers, and the founders have no educational experience wouldn’t you think something was fishy? Their principal was a freakin salesman and you might as well call him a con artist. Their tuition and donations brought up $250k a year with nothing to show for it because he 100% pocketed that money with no repercussions because this wasn’t even an accredited school to begin with. There are a million red flags here and the parents did not notice. Not saying its their fault, but Mr Landry took advantage of them bc he knew they were desperate AND ignorant.

[@linmax300]

You know there’s something fishy when there’s a 100% graduation rate...

[@NatalieChickee]

May those criminals be in jail for the rest of their lives.. I’m so sorry for those youth.

[@fringes475]

I got accepted in my dream university but then i realized that i can't afford to go there even with scholarships. So i got my degree in a community college instead, I'm still an RN.

[@sunleo6161]

Fringes Same

[@gabrieljean-batiste2006]

Is that a pic of you? If so, I'm sure you wouldn't have had a problem getting a sugar daddy or momma to help out. 😉

[@Wifistaxx]

Gabriel Jean-Batiste ah ha ha

[@gabrieljean-batiste2006]

@@Wifistaxx Ain't nothing wrong with capitalizing on your assets, yea? Lol

[@lancebitoy8912]

@@gabrieljean-batiste2006 probably not i see that picture all the time

[@katey03]

They said no teachers, that’s a red flag. It’s supposed to be a school.

[@GollyFancies312]

Teachers are what makes schools more annoying for children. And in today’s society the majority of stuff that we learn is most likely not going to be around when we become adults. You can’t just say you need to know how to write and read because it will still be around when you get older. Like no this generation is going to find a way where you do not need to learn to do math, reading, writing and not spend over 11 years of your life getting up just to do something you do not want to do. School was never apart of gods plan anyways. Anything that god did not give us is secondary and is not necessary. Meaning SCHOOL.

[@miriamtong]

@@GollyFancies312 I'm not going to address everything you said in this comment except for the religious bit at the end. God might not have specifically stated that school or further education is an important or good thing--and indeed, many people don't work with the current modern systems of education. However, the Bible does have passages telling us to help and teach one another. Surely a teacher communicating information to a child is one form of this.

[@GollyFancies312]

@&; When you die do not expect to go to a good place.

[@GollyFancies312]

But you need to understand we are the next generation. Most of the stuff we learn in school is not gong to help us. The world is changing so fast and soon we are going to invent things were you do not have to know any of the dumb stuff there teacher you. And the bible also says anything that hold you slave is a sin. School is very unhealthy you stay for hours a day and become very tired with no rest. Then they shame you for not doing good on everything but the only perfect human that ever walked the earth is Jesus. So people just do not have the ability to learn things and they still force it on you. In the near future im sure all this stuff is going to be useless. Its a waste of life.

[@mrduckling1995]

@@GollyFancies312 I can tell you are not over the age of 15. You will need writing and reading every where you go. I agree that some things that school teaches is useless but there is a few crucial things that you will need later in life. I dont know which religion you are but the bible literally says that you should teach and help each other navigate through this society. A place where you dont need reading or writing is false. Some teachers might not be the best but saying that every teacher is terrible has the same concept as ACAB, its subjective to a few minority. In this world there will always be terrible people disguised as a function member of society such as a teacher.

[@basedcataphract5852]

"We treat them like family" You mean an abusing adoptive/foster family?

[@MagicalBread]

An extreme example of how unregulated private schools are bad for students.

[@PershingOfficial]

The worst thing is that once they get into these schools, they probably can’t handle the work that’s thrown at them.

[@boostedboosted3088]

True

[@RehAdventures]

We once had a kid who absolutely struggled to get his act together, but once we had a new cohort of teachers- they “turned him around” he graduated middle school to go to one of the better magnetic school in our area, even got the Most improved student of the year. He ended up going to juvie the next year because he threatened a kid with a gun...

[@KHRacing]

@@RehAdventures holy how often does that happen in ur country I’m so lucky to live in Singapore

[@jaleyj]

I attended the school. Most people who graduated and went on to Ivy League schools were not prepared. I was in the 5th grade “preparing for the act and college.”

[@smallben7744]

That's affirmative action for ya. Ivy leagues would be 90% asian if they were a meritocracy

[@deedeefleming3869]

“Teachers with no certification.” Alrighty then.

[@cole1714]

Dee Dee Fleming yeah lmao, why would that be a selling point?

[@jzk2020]

What about parents that home school ? Do they have certifications?

[@ArcticAlpaca275]

Probably not, but their kids also have to take standardized tests every year to prove that they're up to par with other students their age.

[@evandouglas8329]

@@ArcticAlpaca275 if you're homeschooled you don't have to take standardized testing. That's sort of the point of homeschool.

[@deedeefleming3869]

@@jzk2020 Are those parents home schooling anyone but their kids?

[@lluviadai96]

The girl who is speaking up against T.M. Landry deserves to get into a good college. For having the guts to do what she did, she could actually be someone that brings change.

[@Space_OdJobs]

The fact that they filmed themselves reacting to getting accepted for these kind of school is already top tier cringe.

[@maebuckingham1851]

No teachers at all? Teachers without certifications? Empty classrooms? But it was almost $800 a month to attend? I’m so confused how no one fact checked anything and just sent their kid there???

[@jessicaaudate]

Same

[@jessicaaudate]

@@danheboy absolutely

[@alexmartinez3412]

How are they even learning?

[@josh-ge4ez]

@@alexmartinez3412 they werent

[@audrey2658]

stupidity on behalf of the parents that's why

[@omgitsme435]

The guy dresses like Ronald McDonald and had a 5th grade vocabulary, no one thought that was suspicious?

[@Gymnopediea]

lol

[@yaee123]

His vocabulary is immaculate, where is his grammar or vocabulary off?? now as far as his look, you got that down to a T!

[@xjcrossx]

Go. Big. Or. Go. Home. Hey, there's a four letter word in there

[@user-ho1ih1uj6w]

No

[@vasiovasio]

:D

[@NotRyan.]

That school looks like a garage from inside, supermarket from outside.

[@celticlord88]

100% college acceptance? no one questioned that claim?

[@xmuta]

No one is brave enough to.

[@xalerforest8123]

Why does the school look like an empty factory or garage

[@royaldasher706]

Because it is

[@The_Poro_King]

Because it's a charter school

[@blairjackson9318]

Cause it is 🤣

[@joshuah345]

@@The_Poro_King yeah no, most charter schools have a decent building

[@thecaynuck4694]

@@The_Poro_King Private/charter schools are generally very nice in terms of facilities

[@subscriberswithnovideos-ce8he]

$720 A MONTH!?! For no teachers, and no working? hUh? 🤣

[@princessalliecat8]

Justin Gatlin tbh that’s not that much for a private school. mines 60k+ for 4 years

[@edenredeemed]

$720/mo and college admission!!! Not a bad pay off. The abuse however is not acceptable.

[@stavromulabeta3474]

Imagine how much income those awful people are making....

[@Skye-lk1rq]

Lmao idk mines 20k close to 30k a year.

[@princessalliecat8]

Skye123 that’s not that bad. high schools in my area are 21k+ a year

[@Haffy442]

Imagine going to high school in a warehouse 🤣🤣

[@davidoberle9023]

Sometimes the best for your child is just a loving mom and dad who push their children to go after jobs that interest them and look for schools that cater to the child's interests.

[@mariadaniele5229]

Wow just wow, imagine not getting excepted into your dream school because some other kid falsified their college application and took your spot.

[@upfulsoul826]

People commit fraud in applications all the time or lie at interviews.

[@TamikaMichelle]

Imagine thinking you got into your dream school just to have it taken away due to things beyond your control or knowledge. EVERYBODY IS A VICTIM.

[@jasonpeng5798]

@@upfulsoul826 how? it's practically impossible to lie on an application.

[@bbqsaucelover]

the kids didn’t do it; it was parents and the administration of the school. the kids with falsified applications are suffering from this as well.

[@natabeautiful]

Upful Soul that doesn't make it right.....lol. All of us study hard and work hard. Those kids were cheated and lied to.

[@ColleenMarge]

You also have to think about the hard working kids who were denied entry into their dream school because a spot was given to a student whose school falsified their applications. So sad. Education is invaluable and no shortcuts can be taken.

[@zay4643]

Neil Mcinnis she said "falsified" dummy

[@user-xc4pb1wt4l]

Neil Mcinnis affirmative action is one of the many privileges given to minorities.

[@eagann92]

Neil Mcinnis so I take it you're for all affirmative action placements?

[@bethfitzmaurice1086]

Exactly! And would the students, once accepted, even be able to keep up academically when they got to college? The video said that because of the unconventional teaching methods, students were actually falling behind academically. It’s terrible.

[@ColleenMarge]

@@bethfitzmaurice1086 yep! it is a lose-lose for everyone involved. shame on the colleges for not catching this sooner and no one holding them accountable to teach these kids.

[@augustp7543]

“Inspirational! This class has no teachers!” That’s not inspirational that’s a huge problem!!

[@racool911]

If a school has college prep in its name, RUN

[@tonyl7240]

Lmao you can send these kids to Harvard and Yale but they're gonna end up dropping out if they're not prepared

[@xmuta]

Tony L - they are also not very smart.

[@elisabethschmerzler963]

Tony L That’s literally what happened to a large percentage of the kids. The NYT wrote a huge article that delves deeper into the entire controversy and they bring up the fact that most of the kids who went to these Ivy League schools had their grades suffer horribly or even needing to drop out and go to a local or community college because they were basically at elementary and middle school levels

[@jesscnelson]

reshi p these children are not turds. The administrators are.

[@elisabethschmerzler963]

Maya Oh I’m so sorry that wasn’t my intention! What I meant was because of their underdevelopment in education, they had to drop out, and they didn’t exactly have the same opportunities afterwards that they had at the school so they went to what they could afford and what worked.

[@karyon1007]

@Maya No, it doesn't mean that you have a middle school education. However, community colleges often offer a plethora of lower-level or remediation classes to help students fill in gaps in their high school education. These are often lacking at four-year colleges. So, while most students at community colleges probably don't need it, those colleges often have the resources and opportunities for students to succeed even without a strong high school experience.

[@KevenTalks]

The first red flag was that ridiculous bow tie. He LOOKS like a con artist! Come on!

[@lukairrahe]

Lol true tho

[@ML-xh6rd]

Trying (and failing) to present an image that he thought projected Ivy League values. Most often he looked like a clown. In that one look he looked like a McDonald's manager. Ridiculous.

[@ouya_expert]

What does a con artist even look like? I don't see any snake oil anywhere

[@JB-bq2qj]

He’s talking about the old “flim flam man” traveling salesman con artist look from old movies.

[@Tracymmo]

@@ML-xh6rd He looked like Ronald McDonald

[@yorukoglumariaela]

So they wasted 4 yrs of high school learning nothing???

[@xmuta]

They learned how to blame the white man.

[@NateClay]

$750 a month... That facility looks horrible for the amount of income they should have!

[@corielake828]

Wait: these kids are not even performing at their grade level? How can they succeed at college

[@jaxsmingarcia6174]

Corie Lake an Ivy League at that

[@sembra3803]

They don't

[@90ejb]

They set those kids up to fail.

[@TheGamingSlate]

Der Schwindel this is not the case....at all...I honestly don’t even know what your citing or referencing because I found absolutely no evidence of this anywhere. It’s almost as if you made this up....because you did (edit: der Schwindel deleted their comment, but the original comment was about “private colleges inflate their grades and use an inflated scale”)

[@MaximillionBucks]

@@TheGamingSlate just take a look at "advanced classes" which "merit" giving out a grade higher than a 4.0. That's grade inflation in a nutshell, take a class that claims to be advanced and get a better grade regardless.

[@kierrafield9168]

This really needs to be a documentary.. I want to know more!

[@alalducente]

it is now..and it is crap they made it about race and not a system that is broken

[@joshuamg2578]

@@Nassit-Gnuoy thanks

[@aaroncousins4750]

@@alalducente gotta love the media

[@wiztiny9910]

@@alalducente it is certainly also about race. don’t play dumb now

[@ngndnd]

@@wiztiny9910 its not, this could have easily happened to a school filled with white kids or a school with diversity. You americans love to make every single thing about race

[@CareBear2480]

As someone who’s gotten told something similar to “Failure is not an option.” Nobody thought to think something was wrong?!

[@leafyleaf6994]

To everyone insulting the parents for not realizing what was happening. HINDSIGHT IS 20/20. Sure, when you watch this video you may go “I would of realized this was bad,” but you weren’t in their situation. It is despicable to judge people in this awful situation and call them dumb.

[@alexandramcginnis8872]

“Teachers without certifications” “No teachers at all” That’s ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE! Teachers are important. Which is why they should have certifications. This video reveals that problem

[@jeffhufana2389]

Wow I pressed the like button and I was the 666 person to like this post

[@jeffhufana2389]

And I'm not proud of that lol

[@Ayumi649]

@@jeffhufana2389 lol

[@javennole2375]

Most teachers with certification do not know how to teach at all

[@cs0345]

You don't need certification to be a professor, so why a teacher

[@sarahthompson8098]

This is seriously troubling and deserves a full, documentary-length investigation.

[@bluelimered]

No it needs a police investigation

[@linaandrews5228]

They won't be doing any full documentary, because they would have to reveal the students standardized exam scores and the drop out rates. What the times won't report is, the students did very well on the standardized tests and very few of the students dropped out of the Ivy League.

[@ccv994]

@@linaandrews5228 You need to read the accompanying article with the full investigation, most of these students are grade levels behind, and the school is not accredited so their diplomas aren't recognized by their state and most public colleges. Several graduates dropped out of their colleges because they were not prepared.

[@linaandrews5228]

@@ccv994 I have to employ critical thinking. All of the students who apply to Ivy League schools must take standardized exams to gain admission. Many of the students did well. Should I believe that these students scored well on standardized tests, but are grade levels behind? This makes no sense. You do realize that in order to apply to those Ivy League schools and gain admission, those students had to at least meet the minimum ACT or SAT score required by the university. Anyone who has applied to the Ivy League knows this. The issue is, the NY Times only has the testimony of a disgruntled girl who couldn't pass the prep school exam and was therefore put out of the school. There was one sentence about a student attending Brown, who is now a junior. Try employing a little critical thinking. Read between the lines. The school has been open since 2005 and we are approaching 2019. They have successfully sent students to the ivy league. If those students were flunking out, why would the Ivy league continue to admit (in record numbers), students from that prep school? The answer is, many of those former students did well and graduated from Yale, Brown, Harvard, Columbia, etc.

[@sarahthompson8098]

@@bluelimered the two aren't mutually exclusive :)

[@creaaampaan6244]

Dude, you learn so much from the failure itself, that's what make human a human. Failure help us grow. It is necessary to accept it instead of reject it.

[@Cassy858]

There's a kdrama similar to this called SKY castle. It's about education system and insane tactics people use to get into the top universities.

[@HankTheTank23]

Imagine *paying* to go to school in a literal *warehouse* without classrooms, walls, or books. Were the parents really that surprised?

[@abigailb7232]

Two of the schools in my town are in old grocery store buildings. It's not that surprising to strip empty buildings and keep the infrastructure. It's a lot cheaper than building an entirely new building.

[@davideanes3425]

Never heard of store front churches?

[@biab.9091]

Or teachers..

[@eonstar]

To be fair, with so many positive results i find many would think that even so they're doing something right

[@tjenglish7036]

A lot of schools in majority black areas are very underfunded. Some people will go to lengths to ensure their kids get to college

[@modernly]

I've literally never watched a video on this channel, but I'm glad this one's the first. Gotta agree with everyone saying that it deserves to be a feature length doc on its own

[@princessthyemis]

same!

[@entoke261]

They've been producing news since 1851!

[@Theyungcity23]

I hope the New York Times guys find some success. They're no Philly D but they'll get there.

[@alysiamerdavid-wasser9165]

SAME! i thought this WAS a full-length doc. i'm still tryna figure how they knew it was fake!

[@angiejordan6454]

@@sameenamin4645, can you also do a story investigating the recent Asian scandal where the SAT answers were leaked for months? There are also past Asian scandals at international Asian schools - research those. Also, please investigate the story about the elite prep academy - where the young man took the SAT for other students - and how very little ramifications there were from that whole scandal. Maybe that will help dispel some other stereotypes, too. Thanks.

[@joshorne]

This part right here at 3:47 would make for a great script for a Key and Peele comedy skit.

[@reggaejunkie1303]

I am so happy that someone investigated this place. I really hope that something changes. It’s crazy it took this much exposure to find the truth.

[@TrueBeautyExists]

It's funny how people are more worried about the race of these kids than the fact that they were physically abused, threatened, and cheated out of a true education. They were victims. If anyone, be mad at the owner of the school.

[@Kiasace]

I agree. People are more concerned about affirmative action and the race of the kids than the actual problem itself.

[@TheOrangeneck]

I don't see anyone who is more worried about their race than the fact that they suffered abuse--if anything, the fact that they are black & black kids are more likely to receive subpar k-12 educations just makes the abuse they suffered worse. These parents really, really had their hopes up for a good education. Just awful.

[@Kiasace]

@@TheOrangeneck Right, it's absolutely awful. However, I went to another youtube video to learn more about this issue, and the comments were filled with racist jokes and complaints of affirmative action letting the kids get into ivy leagues in the first place. It's truly disheartening that so many people in that comment section weren't talking about the real issue.

[@nw932]

@@Kiasace Affirmative action is racist, it is literally the only form of systemic racial oppression in the US.

[@alexisprimeaux2524]

I find both upsetting. These kids were abused and set up to fail. Affirmative action played a part in their acceptances, as did the falsified records. Several who started at these universities experienced suffering when they realized they were no where near qualified to keep up because of this awful sham of a school. Both are upsetting and the fact that universities didn’t have due diligence when it came to reviewing applications is part of the problem and part of what kept this school going- the acceptance rates.

[@kkelseym]

I'd like to see a full investigation. There are plenty of schools that are adopting new "unconventional" tactics to teach students but this does feel odd. Students teaching themselves? In a warehouse???

[@amikay4974]

Yeah the warehouse bit also surprised me

[@ninjapoodle22]

A building is a building until you call it something else. Learning can be done anywhere.

[@kkelseym]

@@ninjapoodle22 That's nice but a private, elite school like this one claims it is shouldn't be utilizing an empty warehouse as a classroom. They're charging people but can't even afford a rug?

[@carlostineo698]

The DOE has to open a investigation on this school. Something is not right. The school officials may be pocketing millions cheating the young out of a education.

[@Delphi333]

No windows...can't see what's going on inside...coincidence?

[@FemiSHair]

Ok @NETFLIX I need to see a documentary on this ASAP. We are all invested!! Lol

[@swaggylewis2100]

Michael is my uncle, TM Landry was built in my hometown, Breaux Bridge. Its still, to this day, so crazy to think i’ve been in that building before, i’ve spoken to him AND students at that school about going there and they all told me it would be a really good choice. My mom almost enrolled me as well. One thing i can say is, after this, the building where the school was has been vacated and him and his wife have gone MIA, haven’t heard or seen them since

[@dgo333]

5:02 “we have this trig book, which is, like, from MIT, and we basically teach each other” how did this alone not raise multiple different red flags

[@xmuta]

People are afraid to otherwise they will be labeled a racist.

[@-jore7581]

@@xmuta that is such a stupid take, there was almost nothing about race, the girl specifically said she felt intimidated to speak out because they had the reputation of being successful.

[@xmuta]

@@-jore7581 - I’m referring to the reporters who covered this school.

[@ssseeeaaa]

@@xmuta the reporters who blew the cover of the school??? Yeah they're so afraid.... stop making things weird.

[@culturalhouse2643]

“ ummm…like…we teach ourselves with a book from MIT…umm…because we are all geniuses and we don’t need teachers ….ummm…like…yeah””

[@baumkuchens]

The question is,why would a 7 year old kid entered college prep school?

[@bobsburgers8497]

Nabila Putri yea! it was so shady from the start

[@jasi7313]

@@bobsburgers8497 to eventually get into an ivy league school...

[@xmuta]

Nabila Putri - Black excellence.

[@alexanbroussard]

A lot of the time in Louisiana, it pretty common to start college prep when you start school.

[@MaximillionBucks]

Society is so stupid that it has convinced people that a college education is the only way for their child the be successful, rather than it being a money sink that could have been better invested

[@shaanfliesplanes]

It doesn’t even matter where you go to college. You get them same education at every institution and then you get in debt. Everyone just ends up in the same place.

[@jenniferbond7073]

Wait. $750 a month for your kid to go to an industrial building with no classrooms, computers or anything really to teach with? I’m a commercial property manager and at a glance, the building that “school” was housed in was incredibly suspicious, those fake school flags out front really dazzled people. Very sad. Those kids will not succeed in this highly competitive colleges with no real education. Heartbreaking.

[@Manny-ws1mh]

That’s literally a cult, made the kids believe that everything he did was no wrong

[@jeffpenpap]

ikr, the people who ran this place just wanted money and wasted a lot of time for the kids and money

[@Medic_312]

100% acceptance rate. Really that doesnt raise any red flags.

[@redle0pard]

@kev " Meaning that 100% of the school's graduates are accepted to college."................With 100% Doctored / False credentials.

[@hellofbsondnsk]

There's pretty much always a college willing to accept someone, especially with doctored transcripts. Just gotta apply to the right ones.

[@logic7374]

Why is that a red flag? There's a lot of schools with 100% acceptance rate. A lot. Time to stop attacking these schools no matter the methods used.

[@imperialchimpanzee122]

I mean there are like only 12 students per graduating class. That's not very hard to work with.

[@lunchbox3227]

Logic “Time to stop attacking these school no matter the methods used”? Do you support what’s going on?

[@cleosmom7]

It would be important to talk to the kids who got accepted to these colleges and see if they could keep up with the classwork.

[@a.d.4536]

They did not. Does not matter these Ivy Leagues got woke and astroturf them through. Idiocracy is here.

[@tjr4459]

These poor kids are going to be so overwhelmed by the volume and difficulty of the courses they will encounter at these Ivy League colleges. It’s already difficult for a student who is from a reputable school and well prepared. I wish The NY Times did a longer investigative documentary on this and follow up on the students who went off to college.

[@bishlemon3375]

You know they're kinda fake when the only schools they want to go to are generic ivy league and top notch schools? like seriously?

[@rachelhart3531]

Omae wa Mo shinderu Those are not the only worthy decent colleges. There are plenty great schools out there that are not red brick or Ivy League household names. Any decent high school will be more concerned with finding kids the right fit for a college than one which they can brag about in promoting the school. Lots of factors come into this,money is obviously a big one, but so is a students family circumstances. Some kids have caring responsibilities for younger siblings or parents with disabilities, an out of state college thousands of miles away would probably be a bad fit.

[@ieatgremlins]

Exactly! Total publicity stunt. Shame.

[@TickleMeElmo55]

@@rachelhart3531 Pretty much this. Any academic counseling department worth their weight will preach fit over prestige.

[@Itsme-nk4mc]

Exactly, schools in the patriot league are just as good if not better

[@b2kzangelalwayz]

That doesn’t constitute it being fake. Plenty of students are groomed to think that those schools are the only options because the people who teach them or parents never had those opportunities. The school is a sham, however this is not a point to that argument.

[@Milfuelle100]

I’m a Canadian teacher and this astounds me beyond belief. I had to stop the video after a few minutes because I was getting too emotional. This is an *atrocious* abuse of power.

[@Carl_ATHF]

Almost as if the racists were right

[@carpetchair5778]

@@Carl_ATHF ?

[@burnttoast2505]

@@Carl_ATHF riiight cause racists never abuse their power

[@MJAY-N7129]

I completely agree. I'm a music coordinator and it breaks my heart to see this. I still study but even then, this is so appalling to watch.

[@MJAY-N7129]

@pouting emoji literally I don't need your permission to do anything. You must have a pretty empty existence to say something like this. I pray God blesses you in what you do,and that you find happiness and peace

[@pinklove8422]

It's interesting watching this documentary again when I am about to apply to colleges.

[@salem6991]

I’m from Louisiana and I go to a public school. It’s not to the point of physical abuse, but it’s back. For example, when a school cop was reported for inappropriate advances toward a thirteen year old girl at one school, the girl was threatened with boot camp for telling and then the cop got sent to my school. The teachers at my school will let you get bullied in front of them, saying “it toughens them up.” If you have mental illnesses or neurological disorders, such as PTSD or torettes, you aren’t respected. If you have PTSD you’re told to calm down. A girl who has torettes was told to stop her ticks or to get out of the class. Theres an established social hierarchy and if you don’t fit into it, you mean next to nothing. It’s awful and I can’t wait to get out.

[@Postc0ital_mal0ne]

That bowtie alone had me on edge.

[@ertertewrtwert1037]

And those neon green pants 😭

[@SubparPanda]

Right? That was the first clue lol

[@drea94]

ertert ewrtwert Steve Urkel wishes!

[@hellohello9400]

LMAOO

[@s.a.8548]

I don't trust anyone with a bowtie

[@tehcrazysoccergirl]

I wonder how these students performed once they were in these Ivy league schools. Surely the schools must have noticed a pattern of underperformance? If so, why keep accepting them?

[@xanderpandre2092]

Do you know how many people are in college?

[@tehcrazysoccergirl]

@@xanderpandre2092 do you really think you made some great point with that comment? schools keep records, data, stats, and perform analyses of these items. They should notice something.

[@xanderpandre2092]

+m.b no they don't

[@tehcrazysoccergirl]

@@xanderpandre2092 lol. ok. no point in arguing with a dude that looks like he dropped out of high school.

[@AmbientMorality]

@@tehcrazysoccergirl Any competent admissions department checks in on future outcomes of different student groups. There might not have been enough students from this school for them to recognize any significant pattern (versus a few outliers underperforming).

[@Phatocatto]

Most of the time when someone goes 'We're like a family' it's some form of tactic to lure you into a false sense of security.

[@disgusted2704]

"No is not an option" is the biggest red flag I had ever seen in a while.