Leader of Teacher Cheating Ring Sentenced to Seven Years

Clarence D. Mumford, Sr., the leader of a teacher cheating ring designed to help educators pass on certification exams, has received a seven year prison sentence. As part of the cheating ring, Mumford had prospective teachers in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee pay him to have other individuals sit for their certification exams. In the 15 years Mumford ran the cheating ring, he collected over $120,000.

From 1995 to 2009, Mumford’s cheating ring went undetected. As part of the scheme, he altered driver’s licenses to allow his test-takers to sit for exams in other states. In exchange for paying Mumford thousands of dollars, aspiring teachers were supposed to receive a passing score on the certification exam — which were taken by Mumford’s test-takers.

It was in June 2009 when test administrators started to become suspicious. In the morning, a test-taker sitting in for one of Mumford’s clients was wearing a noticeable pink baseball cap. Later in the day, administrators sought out the test-taker, only to find a man sitting for another test to be taken by a student with the same name. That led to an investigation that was eventually turned over to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Who hired Mumford to help with the exams? Those looking for help included Clarence Mumford, Jr., Mumford’s son, Cedrick Wilson, a former player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and at least 34 other teachers across three states. Many of those hired by Mumford to take the certification exams were teachers themselves.

While the test-takers were paid $200 to $1,000 to sit for an exam, Mumford’s clients paid around $3,000, with one client paying as much as $6,000 for an exam.

While passing scores were the goal of the cheating ring, some test-takers did not deliver. Multiple clients testified that test-takers did not show up for exams, were late to testing sites, and some did not earn passing scores. In other cases, passing scores were received, but their tests were flagged by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

According to those who were employed as test-takers, Mumford recruited them under the premise that he was helping teachers who had difficulty passing the certification exams. One test taker, Shantell Shaw, also a high school science teacher, said Shaw asked her to help a client who had failed a certification exam 11 times. Other test-takers reported similar stories used to persuade them to take part in the ring. Mumford’s lawyer, Coleman W. Garrett, also stated that Mumford believed he was helping prospective teachers and that he did not see himself as a criminal.

However, U.S. Attorney Edwin L. Stanton argued that Mumford’s sole motivation for the cheating ring was financial gain. Clients who did not receive satisfactory results testified that Mumford still kept their money, supporting Stanton’s argument.

As the leader, Mumford received the longest sentence, but he is not the only one to face trial for participation in the cheating ring. Of the 13 defendants, the next longest sentence went to John Bowen, a former substitute teacher and one of the first test-takers to be caught in the scandal. He received an eight-month jail sentence for his participation. Aside from the three defendants still awaiting sentencing, and one who received six-months home confinement, all defendants have received some prison time for their participation in the scandal.

Mumford’s cheating ring not only earned him over $100,000, it also put unqualified teachers in the classroom, sometimes taking away positions from more deserving candidates. Most of the teachers who participated in Mumford’s scheme are now out of the classroom and stating that they regret their involvement in his scheme.

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