Fact Check
Images contrasting the sentencings of white swimmers with that of homeless mother Tanya McDowell depicted perceived inequality in the criminal-justice system.
by Snopes Staff, Published Aug. 24, 2016 Updated Sept. 18, 2019
College athletes Brock Turner and David Becker received controversially light sentences for serious crimes in mid-2016, while Tanya McDowell was arrested in April 2011 on suspicion of larceny for enrolling her child in school during a period of reported homelessness and was subsequently sentenced to time in prison.
However, McDowell's sentence was not just for the school-larceny incident but for drug and prostitution charges, as well; all charges were ultimately disposed of in a single plea agreement.
In mid-August 2016, social media outrage over the light sentencing of collegiate athlete David Becker (who was sentenced to two years probation over sexual assault charges) led to the recirculation of images about a woman named Tanya McDowell, who was convicted of first-degree larceny for sending her child to the wrong school district:
By Snopes Staff
