Parking Scandal Flares Anew

UCLA suspended two more football players Wednesday for their roles in the scam to illegally obtain handicap parking permits as the university police department expanded its investigation and raised the possibility that additional current and former Bruins could soon face criminal charges.

The latest development in what already has been an embarrassing situation came just as the wounded football program had hoped to start turning away from the difficult last five weeks. What it gets instead with media day Friday and the opening of practice Saturday is the possibility of another round of heavy criticism and public outrage.

News that reserve tailback Keith Brown and defensive back Eric Whitfield, a key backup and potential starter, became the 10th and 11th Bruins to receive two-game suspensions from the highest level of the school administration came with word that the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office was pressing for a deeper investigation. Whereas the UCLA police department was originally told to focus its inquiry on the past year, which led to the original set of charges filed July 8, authorities say Deputy City Atty. Brian Williams has instructed campus investigators to extend the search back to January 1997.

“This thing has taken on a life of its own,” said Karl Ross, the assistant chief of the UCLA police department. “Who knows how far back they will want us to go.”

Exactly why officials have decided to more aggressively pursue the issue was not immediately known, but one possibility was confusion over the statute of limitations. It would follow either a misunderstanding or miscommunication about the penalties when the14 players originally implicated--nine of whom are still on the team--learned of harsher disciplines for the misdemeanor offenses than originally expected. Five of them, including current players Durell Price and James Ghezzi, sought a postponement of that July 28 arraignment until Aug. 25.

Although there is no definite timetable because investigators are still gathering information, Ross said his office probably will turn over its evidence to the city attorney’s office about the middle of next week. It will then be up to Williams to decide whether to file charges.

This is potential trouble for more than Whitfield and Brown, or any other current players under investigation. It means that former Bruins also could be investigated, in the wake of reports that an investigation by The Times showed former stars Cade McNown and Skip Hicks also had the placards.

Hicks, identified in earlier police reports as one of the ringleaders before leaving for the NFL, has apologized for his actions. McNown has denied wrongdoing.

There is at least an indication of a strong case against Whitfield and Brown--UCLA Athletic Director Pete Dalis said Wednesday in the wake of the latest suspensions that “Given the evidence developed by the UCLA police department during its investigation, we feel it is appropriate to suspend the two student-athletes for the first two games of the season. This is consistent with the manner the other students with similar violations have been suspended.”

Administrators also suspended Ghezzi and Price before they entered a plea or had a trial, asserting that enough university rules have been broken to merit the school disciplines, no matter the outcome. Those same officials indicated Brown and Whitfield have broken the same, or similar, guidelines.

“All I can say is that it is an ongoing investigation,” Ross said. “We have developed additional information and are investigating other UCLA student-athletes on this matter.”

Asked if the focus of those searches is football players, he said: “I will leave it at UCLA students at this point.”

The nine previously suspended for the Sept. 4 opener against Boise State at the Rose Bowl and the Sept. 11 game at Ohio State: Ghezzi, Price, Ali Abdul Azziz, Robert Thomas, Marques Anderson, Oscar Cabrera, Ryan Nece, Ryan Roques and Tony White. All 11, including Whitfield and Brown, are projected starters or second-string.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Albert Carnesale, who has taken a highly visible role in the university-imposed disciplines that also include the possibility of suspension from school, praised the UCLA police department “for its continuing and diligent effort” in this investigation. He added that “UCLA will not tolerate this type of behavior. Once again, we have tried to be strict and fair.”

In an unrelated development, freshman defensive back DaShaun McCullough has failed to meet the NCAA admission standards and is prohibited from practicing. He is expected to take the entrance test again in September, in time for the start of school on Sept. 30, and he could join the team then.