School called 'diploma mill' closed

"It's a disaster," Stanley J. Simmons told the newspaper. "I'm finishing up everything, and I'm going back into retirement."

University High School had no classrooms, teachers or teams but helped numerous athletes quickly earn diplomas, the Times first reported in November. The newspaper reported that University High graduated at least 14 students who signed with Division I football programs during the past two years. Because the school is private, students did not have to take the state-mandated exit exam.

Twenty-eight high school athletes sent University High School transcripts to the NCAA eligibility clearinghouse in the past few years. The New York Times identified 14 who had signed with 11 Division I football programs including freshman freshman defensive back Demetrice Morley with Tennessee. The other schools are Auburn, Central Florida, Colorado State, Florida, Florida State, Florida International, Rutgers, South Carolina State, South Florida, Tennessee and Temple.

The Miami-Dade state prosecutor's office and the NCAA recently began investigations into the legitimacy of the school. Ed Griffith, a spokesman for the state prosecutor, told the Times his office was awaiting returns from subpoenas in its investigation of the school over possible fraud.

Simmons founded the school in 2000, but sold it about 14 months ago to Michael R. Kinney, who operated it for him for years, the newspaper reported. Simmons said Kinney defaulted on his monthly payment after the Times wrote about the school, prompting state investigations.

The Times reported that the NCAA has created a 17-person panel, which includes three school presidents, on Friday to study correspondence high schools and other nontraditional routes to college athletic eligibility and scholarships. NCAA president Myles Brand wants the panel to propose tighter rules by the summer.

The 75-year-old Simmons, who taught in Miami schools before opening a number of correspondence schools, served 10 months in a federal prison camp after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in 1989. He then sold the school to Kinney, who was charged with marijuana possession in 2003 and wanted on a bench warrant.