http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jan/04/sp...rs-took-classe/ <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Shauna Moffitt, the wife of University of South Florida senior linebacker Ben Moffitt, said she wrote nearly every paper for him during his five years at USF and also completed two online courses for him. "Ben Moffitt has never written a paper," Shauna said. "Never. Ever. I love him, but he doesn't know how to spell. He cheats." Ben Moffitt, 23, who filed for divorce on Thursday from his wife of five years, called the accusations "hearsay. That's all I can say. It's very unfortunate for my kids," he said, referring all questions to his attorneys. Ben Moffitt left his wife and 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter on Nov. 11, Shauna said. Shauna Moffitt, 26, e-mailed to The Tampa Tribune copies of six assignments she said she wrote for her husband between Jan. 17, 2007, and Oct. 10, 2007. She said she wrote all of the assignments on her computer at the Sumter County appraiser's office, where she is a data specialist. Sheree Ellis, Shauna's twin sister, also provided copies of three papers from her home computer in Wildwood that she said she wrote for Ben Moffitt when he was pursuing an education degree. Those papers are dated between Nov. 6, 2005, and March 24, 2006. Stephanie Jordan, the mother of Shauna and Sheree, said she was aware her daughters wrote papers for Ben. A four-year starter at USF, Ben Moffitt completed his eligibility in Monday's Sun Bowl. If it is found that Moffitt committed academic fraud, the school could be subject to NCAA investigation. USF coach Jim Leavitt would not comment. Defensive coordinator Wally Burnham, who is Moffitt's linebackers coach, said he had no knowledge of Moffitt not doing his own school work. "It's hearsay, it's a domestic issue and there's nothing at this point to consider," university spokesman Ken Gullette said. Ben Moffitt retained attorneys Mary Hatcher and A.J. Roye on Thursday. Roye would not address the specific allegations that Moffitt's wife did his class work and online courses. "Our comment is the media is the improper place to try these things," Roye said. "But without a doubt, she's attempting to damage him. Whether it's true or not, she's attempting to damage his reputation and will have an effect on his children and she's harming the family." Among the papers Ellis said she wrote for Moffitt and provided to the Tribune was one for his Intro to Education and Field Experience class in which Moffitt described visiting Ellis' first-grade class. Ellis said it was part of Moffitt's class requirement to observe 15 hours during a semester. However, Ellis said Moffitt never observed her classroom, but she filled out the paperwork indicating he had. "He asked me for my help," Ellis said. "I knew he had football. He was a dad, he was going to school. I wanted to help, because everything I did to help was for him to get his degree and help Shauna and the children." Ellis said she stopped writing papers for Moffitt in the spring of 2006 when he changed his major from education to communications. USF sports information director Chris Freet confirmed that Moffitt's major is communications. Moffitt carried 14 hours this past semester. The Moffitts were married June 16, 2002, the summer before Ben's senior year at South Sumter High School. After Ben left the family on Nov. 11, the Sunday after USF played Syracuse, Shauna said she didn't know Ben's whereabouts and that he stopped using his scholarship money to make the mortgage payment. Frustrated, Shauna said she drove to Tampa on Dec. 3 and went to the USF coaching offices, where she talked to graduate assistant Patrick St. Louis. "Pat's exact words: 'I know your name should be on that diploma. I know you did all the work,'" Shauna said. St. Louis denied that conversation took place. He said he hasn't seen Shauna since "one of the football games" and he did not talk to her in the coaches' office. Burnham said he met with Shauna on Dec. 3 in his office and remembered seeing St. Louis talking with Shauna. Burnham said his conversation with Shauna was about the Moffitts' marital situation and nothing was mentioned about academic accusations. Shauna said neither Burnham nor Leavitt was aware she had written papers for Ben, but it was common knowledge among the players, including St. Louis, who played linebacker the past four years and is in his first season as a graduate assistant at USF. "We were a team," Shauna said. "I did the papers in order for Ben to play. I'd write his paper and he'd go clean the kitchen. "I wrote those papers because I love him and I was trying to help our future. I don't want to do anything that won't please Christ. I'm tired of him being portrayed as Mr. Wonderful. He's been awful, awful to me and these kids for two months." Shauna initially e-mailed the Tribune on Thursday morning that Ben was being falsely portrayed in the media. USF had heavily promoted Moffitt to the media as a devout family man, pushing him for national honors with the phrase: "Linebacker. Leader. Husband. Father." He was the focus of features by the New York Times and ESPN in part because of his daily 110-mile round-trip drive from the family's South Sumter home to USF. He earned All-Big East honors, was a third-team All-American and was nominated for various national defensive awards, including the Butkus Award and Lott Trophy. In El Paso, Texas, last week for the Sun Bowl, Moffitt told the Tribune about the difficulty of his five years juggling school, family and football. "It's extremely hard, but you find a way to do it," Moffitt said. "It's been a long road the last five years." Moffitt is projected as USF's third-best NFL draft prospect and is expected to be a mid-round selection. "I'm not a liar, I don't have anything to hide," Shauna said. "I'm still supporting Ben. We have two children. "I keep waking up and hoping he wakes up. This isn't the real Ben."</div>
Here is an op-ed piece http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jan/09/na...-moffitt-cheat/ <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The University of South Florida's refusal to investigate allegations that football star Ben Moffitt cheated in his classes shows an appalling disregard for academic integrity. The university promoted Moffitt as the football star/family man, but now that his estranged wife says she wrote his papers and took two online classes for him, USF's leadership doesn't seem interested. USF President Judy Genshaft is taking cover under a student handbook provision that says only a professor can initiate a cheating investigation. It's a ridiculous policy, since the professor is often the last to know a student is cheating. USF spokesman Ken Gullette even dismissed Shauna Moffitt's account as a "domestic dispute." No way. The accusations involve potential fraud at the university. USF brass should be eager to determine the truth. Newly appointed Provost Ralph Wilcox belatedly issued a statement Monday saying that the university takes its academic credibility seriously. But not enough, apparently, to want to find out if Moffitt made a mockery of his education. The administration says it will address allegations if they are supported by evidence. But how can USF obtain evidence without investigating? It appears USF just wants the controversy to go away. Moffitt is due to graduate and be off to the NFL, leaving the university to face any NCAA sanctions. But this not about football or even the effort USF made to showcase Moffitt, the All-American linebacker who married his high school sweetheart and is raising two small children while making a name for himself in football. The issue here is whether Moffitt earned the degree USF is about to award him and whether he fulfilled his end of the football scholarship bargain. Shauna Moffitt contends she wrote papers for her husband and took some of his online courses. She says she typed the papers while on the job at the Sumter County Property Appraiser's Office. Her boss, Ronnie Hawkins, already is trying to determine how much time Shauna Moffitt might have spent on her husband's homework and intends to recoup that money for the taxpayers. "It's the principle of the thing," Hawkins told us. "I don't care if it's a nickel or a dime. It's what's fair for the taxpayers." Compare that swift response to USF's shoulder shrugging. The claims may turn out to be false. One does wonder how Shauna Moffitt managed to write papers for her communications major husband when she hadn't attended the lectures or read the materials. But online courses - which are becoming prevalent as universities try to manage overcrowding - are not particularly secure against cheaters. Florida State University learned the hard way when at least 50 student-athletes were implicated in an online cheating scandal. There must be tighter controls, such as requiring that tests for online courses be given on campus where students' identification can be checked. Some universities use Web cams to ensure students can't use a ringer. USF needs to make clear it expects the highest ethical standards of its students in the classroom and on the playing field. When it chooses to simply look the other way, it sends an entirely different, and dismaying, message about its commitment to academic excellence and personal integrity.</div>
This story has been in heavy play on other message boards because of UCF fans. Not only do the UCF fans hate USF, they are extremely petty and jealous about being stuck in C-USA while USF went to the Big East.
