Last Updated on April 30, 2025 by The Liberian Investigator
Monrovia, April 29, 2025 — The president of the University of Liberia, Dr. Layli Maparyan, has announced the dismissal of eight university employees following a four-month investigation into widespread academic fraud, including a high-profile case involving Commerce Inspector General Dorr Cooper.
In a statement issued from her Capitol Hill office, Maparyan said a Special Committee to Investigate Academic Fraud had completed its final report, which confirmed “coordinated acts of academic fraud” involving staff in the Department of Public Administration, the Office of Enrollment Services, and the Office of Information Technology.
“Academic fraud is the antithesis of academic integrity and the enemy of academic excellence,” Maparyan said. “From this day forward, the University of Liberia is instituting a zero-tolerance policy for academic fraud, because academic integrity is ground zero for academic excellence.”
In addition to the eight terminations, one employee has been suspended through the end of the year, while two others were cleared due to insufficient evidence.
The university has also announced sweeping reforms aimed at restoring public trust and preventing future incidents. Among the key measures:
- The conversion of the investigative body into a permanent Committee to Investigate Academic Fraud (CIAF).
- The launch of the UL Whistleblower Platform (ULWP), allowing anonymous or confidential reports of misconduct.
- A comprehensive restructuring of the Office of Enrollment Services.
- Strengthening policies related to academic integrity for both students and staff, accompanied by education and awareness initiatives.
“These measures will allow academic integrity to prevail and academic fraud to perish,” Maparyan said.
The so-called “Dorr Cooper Incident” has drawn intense public scrutiny and became a defining challenge for Maparyan’s early tenure. Before her appointment, the university declared Cooper persona non grata and barred him from campus after an internal investigation concluded he had engaged in academic fraud.
Appearing on OK FM’s “Morning Rush” program, UL Vice President for University Relations Norris Tweh said Cooper falsely claimed to be both a student and a graduate of the institution. Tweh said a probe confirmed that Cooper was never officially enrolled at UL.
According to the committee’s report, Cooper allegedly paid $10,000 to university personnel to fraudulently obtain a bachelor’s degree in public administration. The report also found that Cooper impersonated a deceased student to secure academic credentials.
Discussion about this post