He's Dead, Jim

[Winston Smith]

Meharry has a large modern campus. Kepler was run entirely from a small New York hotel room. Apples and prunes.

So by that logic, if Kepler had a better campus would they cease to be at risk for pounding into the ground?  And if a med school has a really, really nice campus can all their grads kill patients with impunity?

So the question is, did the availability of the fake degree somehow inspire people to decide to act badly? 

The concepts that seem to be eluding you are free will and individual responsibility.  One of the attributes defined for psychopathy is "failure to accept responsibility for own actions."  Fake diplomas and similar inanimate objects no more cause people to act badly than guns cause people to shoot others or cars cause drivers to plow into crowds at bus stops.  You might as well blame Slender Man.