A Fun
Diploma Mill Story
With Dialogue
'I got it to impress me.'
In this one, a reporter chased after highly-placed Texans who brandish bogus degrees, and got them to talk. They're all real characters.
'Meet the top boss in Fort Bend County: County Judge Bob Hebert, who says he has a doctorate in management.
Hebert: “You want to know about my throw down degree.”
11 News: “The Ph.D.”
Hebert: “Oh, that’s my throw down degree.”
It’s from California Coast University, which is ... on the Texas illegal list.
But the judge claims, “I didn't get the degree to impress you or an employer or a voter. I got it to impress me.”
And he said, “I don't use that degree professionally. I don't sign any documents pertaining to the county as Bob Hebert, Ph.D.”
But 11 News showed him his own Web site.
“It says Ph.D. county judge,” Hebert said.
And the county’s official Web site had it too.
11 News: “You're claiming to be a Ph.D. as the county judge.”
Hebert: “That is an error.”
A reader from Texas sent UD word of another person featured in this story, Professor Chen-Feng Lin, at Texas Southern University.
'11 News: “Do you claim you're a Ph.D. sir?”
Lin: “Oh yeah, yeah. I got a Ph.D. from Kennedy Western.”
He did say his Ph.D. was from Kennedy Western – something also mentioned on the Texas Southern’s own Web site.
11 News: “The State of Texas says it’s illegal for you to claim you are a doctor inside the state of Texas. Why would you continue to do that?”
Lin: “No I didn't claim that one myself. That's from the department.”
11 News: “Are you going to continue to claim you're a doctor?”
Lin: “Oh yes, yes. I have my Ph.D. degree. Yes.”'
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