Donor Sues School for $40K After Son Is Rejected

A Texas father is suing the Jesuit prep school he attended after it rejected his son—despite an alleged promise of acceptance in exchange for a hefty donation. Michael Bardwil, a vascular surgeon, said he approached Strake Jesuit administrators about ways to ensure acceptance for his son about 5 years ago. Bardwil claims he was told by one school official, discreetly, that $100,000 would do the trick, KTRK reports.

"I told him if I do contribute, I would like to know that my son is going to be attending this school. And he said, 'Well yes, of course," Bardwil said. He ended up paying about $40,000—only to learn last spring that his son was rejected. Now Bardwil is suing for his money back. "Obviously I feel like I was misled and a certain sense of betrayal, but I think that it's also important to let other people know about this too," he said. A Strake Jesuit representative said the school keeps fundraising and admissions separate.
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