A former dean for the University of Southern California’s social work program on Monday was hit with 18 months of house arrest, three years’ probation and a $150,000 fine for bribing a Los Angeles County supervisor.

Marilyn Flynn, 84, was dean of the program from 1997 to 2018. That last year, she angled for an update to a telehealth contract the school held with the county’s Department of Mental Health to help reduce her program’s huge budget deficit.

Flynn and the school received $100,000 of campaign money from then-Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. The money then was donated to the United Ways of California, which in turn put the money into the account of the nonprofit of Ridley-Thomas’ son Sebastian.

The elder Ridley-Thomas went on to vote in favor of Flynn’s desired amendments to the contract. 

Flynn, who did not contest the charges against her and who pleaded guilty last September, apologized at her sentencing hearing. 

“I hope you understand that I deeply regret the consequences of my actions, my lapse in care. I think I would never imagine that in a career of 50 years, the culmination point would be a judgment of wrongdoing,” Flynn said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Ridley-Thomas the elder was expelled from the Los Angeles City Council in early 2022 and convicted on federal corruption charges this past March. He has not yet been sentenced.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.