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Illustration by Danny Hellman

Freelance writer Rob Sgobbo's article "For-Profit Blues" was removed from the website after the Voice learned that Sgobbo had invented a character, "Tamicka Bourges," who claimed she had amassed a large debt at Berkeley College without obtaining a degree.

We first learned that there might be a problem when Berkeley College denied that one of its spokespersons, Kelly Meisberger, had spoken to Sgobbo. Berkeley later added that it had no record of Bourges as a student. At about the same time, the GAO called to inform us that there was no spokesperson there named "Matt Fraser," whom the story quoted.

TCI College president Bill Talbot adds that Sgobbo invented material about his school as well, including a nonexistent student and spokesperson.

The Voice apologizes sincerely to Berkeley College, TCI, and the GAO that this false material appeared in our education supplement,

Tony Ortega
Editor
The Village Voice