Letters: Harsher penalty for SAT cheats
Sam Eshaghoff, accused in an SAT scandal in Great Neck, leaves Nassau County Police headquarters in Mineola. (Sept. 27, 2011) Credit: Howard Schnapp
We saw an arrogant, smug and smirking Sam Eshaghoff laughing at the world during his interview on "60 Minutes" ["SAT impostor flunks his ethics test," Editorial, Jan. 4].
He said it was easy to take tests for other students who sought entry at prestigious colleges and probably wouldn't have qualified for admission. He exhibited no remorse, except for himself.
This case should be tried and sentencing left to the judge. Eshaghoff should, if convicted, face the harshest penalty the law allows. If ever a case cried out for somebody to be made an example of, this is it.
Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice should release the names, addresses of all the test-takers and the students who paid them, as well as the names of the colleges where they are now enrolled. In addition to these cheaters, the parents of the students should be similarly charged if they funded these exploits.
Some of the cheaters were not juveniles. Why should they be shielded when many 18-year-olds serve honorably in our military?
Jeffrey Myles Klein, Centereach
The arrogance of Sam "the SAT cheater" Eshaghoff makes my blood boil. For him to be proud of what he repeatedly did is bad enough. But to have the audacity to go on "60 Minutes" before his sentencing is nothing short of unbelievable.
He's obviously not stupid. He is ill-informed, though, in his belief that no honest student lost a seat in college because of him.
What about the bigger picture? Someone failed to teach this young dude the basics, like right from wrong.
Joseph A. Bollhofer, St. James
