But if you’ve just binged Netflix’s new feature-length docudrama, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal, there might be another figure involved in the scam you’re obsessing over: John Vandemoer.
Who is John Vandemoer and how did he get involved in the college admissions scandal?
Before news of the scandal broke, Vandemoer had worked for more than a decade as the sailing coach at Stanford University. As the head of an underfunded sport, he accepted Singer’s six-figure donations in exchange for agreeing to consider Singer’s sailing “candidates” for his team. If anyone who got caught up in Operation Varsity Blues deserves sympathy, it’s Vandemoer. As the doc points out, he was the only university figure in the scam who didn’t personally enrich himself through Singer; all the money Vandemoer received really did go toward Stanford’s sailing program—and in fact, the two students Singer had been angling to get admitted to Stanford through Vandemoer ultimately chose not to go there. Vandemoer is also the only co-conspirator from the scheme who sat down for Netflix’s cameras to tell his side of the story. Keep reading to find out what happened to Vandemoer in the wake of the scandal and what he’s doing today to put his life back together.
What did John Vandemoer plead guilty to?
Despite being threatened initially with serious charges like wire fraud and mail fraud, Vandemoer ultimately agreed to a plea deal for which he pled guilty to just one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering.
Did John Vandemoer go to jail for Operation Varsity Blues?
As explained in the doc, Vandemoer was the first co-conspirator to be sentenced in the wake of Operation Varsity Blues but managed to avoid time behind bars. According to court documents shared in the Netflix film, Vandemoer was considered to be “probably the least culpable of all the defendants.” He was technically sentenced to 1 day of confinement, which the judge dismissed as time served. (Prosecutors had pushed for him to receive a 13-month sentence.) He also got slapped with six months of house arrest, a $10,000 fine and two years of supervised release.
Was John Vandemoer fired from Stanford?
Yes, and as Vandemoer claims in the doc, he seemingly found out that the school had terminated him while walking out of court. Since the Netflix debut of Operation Varsity Blues, several viewers have taken to social media to gripe that Stanford let Vandemoer take the fall for the school and that administrators higher up on the chain should’ve also paid a price.
Where is John Vandemoer now?
Operation Varsity Blues ends by informing viewers that Vandemoer’s house arrest ended in December 2019 and that he “continues to coach sailing independently.” But wait, there’s more! According to Vandemoer’s LinkedIn profile (which still lists his Stanford coaching experience), he started working in July 2019 as a project manager at a California-based company called Water Solutions Inc. “I have transitioned my career to engineering and project management,” he explains on LinkedIn. “I use the communication and leadership skills I developed as a seasoned coach to help run potable water construction projects. In both my coaching and in my design engineering I use critical thinking skills to tackle complex problems when it comes to designing treatment, distribution, and electrical for our clients.” He has also purportedly written a book titled Rigged Justice: How the College Admissions Scandal Ruined an Innocent Man’s Life. It’s slated to be released in September 2021. Next, find out if you’ll see Kim and Kanye’s breakup in KUWTK Season 20.
