(Undated)-- The University of Rhode Island and Brown University are both claiming to have acted properly in connection to the college admissions scandal that is making headlines this week.Gordon Ernst, who was hired last summer to be the women's tennis coach at URI, was charged based on his tenure at Georgetown.In response to questions from The Providence Journal, the university says Ernst, who has been placed on paid leave, passed a criminal background check and had positive references.Meanwhile, golf pro Phil Mickelson says he used the company tied to the bribery scandal to guide his family through the college admission process, but denied being part of the fraud; Mickelson's daughter attends Brown.A Brown spokesperson declined to disclose a name but told the ProJo that the review of a student's application and credentials raised no concerns.