Full Sail denied the allegations, emphasizing that the two whistleblowers never worked at Full Sail.
Whistleblowers in a federal court case in California allege Central Florida’s Full Sail University engaged in a “pay-for-play” student hiring scheme to earn more federal funding.
The case, initially filed in 2024 and unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in May, names Full Sail and the Los Angeles Film School, both operated by University of Florida alumnus and trustee James W. Heavener.
The complaint alleges that LA Film School and Full Sail funneled money to employers to hire students for jobs that lasted scarcely longer than two days, all so the schools could count them as “employed” to hit a 70% employed threshold for more federal funding. The students were “hoodwinked” into going along, it said.
Full Sail, a private, for-profit entertainment arts college in Winter Park, receives $377 million per year in federal funding, according to the complaint.
In a statement, Full Sail denied the allegations, emphasizing that the two whistleblowers never worked at Full Sail.
“Full Sail emphatically denies the claims against it and will not permit these individuals pursuing financial benefit to continue to attempt to damage our reputation unchallenged,” the school’s statement read.
The whistleblowers were David Phillips, LA Film School’s former vice president of career development, and Ben Chaib, the school’s former vice president of admissions....
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