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Wal-Mart heiress returns USC diploma; roommate says she did homework

for $20,000

October 19, 2005 7:14 PM EDT

 

LOS ANGELES - Elizabeth Paige Laurie's name was on a sports arena when

a former University of Southern California roommate alleged the

Wal-Mart heiress paid her $20,000 to do her homework. Now it isn't

even on a USC diploma.

 

Laurie, the granddaughter of Wal-Mart co-founder Bud Walton, has

returned her degree, nearly a year after Elena Martinez told ABC's

" 20/20 " that she had written term papers and done assignments for

Laurie for 3 1/2 years.

 

" Paige Laurie voluntarily has surrendered her degree and returned her

diploma to the university. She is not a graduate of USC, " the school

said in a statement dated Sept. 30 but not widely disseminated until

the school newspaper wrote about it late last week. " This concludes

the university's review of the allegations concerning Ms. Laurie. "

 

USC spokesman James Grant said Wednesday the university had no further

comment. Laurie had been given a bachelor's degree by the USC

Annenberg School for Communication in May 2004.

 

After the homework allegations surfaced last November, the University

of Missouri changed the name of what was then Paige Sports Arena.

Laurie's billionaire parents, Bill and Nancy Laurie, had received

naming rights in exchange for donating $25 million toward the

building's construction. Nancy Laurie is Walton's daughter.

 

A call seeking comment from Bill Laurie at his Paige Sports

Entertainment company was not immediately returned. The family has

repeatedly declined to comment on the cheating allegation.

 

Martinez has an unlisted phone number and could not be reached for

comment.

 

At the time of the " 20/20 " broadcast, Martinez said she dropped out of

USC because she couldn't afford the tuition. She said she learned a

great deal by doing Laurie's class work.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material

may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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