Student cheats, gets caught -- and his father sues. What gives?
By Karin Klein
Kids -- and their parents -- are so intent on the most glowing high school records that almost anything goes. Professional tutors and counselors galore. Cheating by so-called honor students is at mortifying levels, and it doesn't end once they get into that name college. Professors report unending grade-grubbing by students, to the extent that the parents leap in to defend their darlings. And then we wonder why these supposed young adults are unable to cope with the real world after graduation?
According to a story in the San Mateo County Times, this trend has reached something of a peak at a high school school where a father is going to court to keep his son from facing the school's discipline for cheating. No one is denying that the boy broke the rules, copying essay homework from another student, but the father's argument is that the punishment -- throwing the sophomore out of the English honors course -- is too harsh because a regular English course doesn't impress colleges as much as the more rigorous class.
Tough shit, buddy. And fuck you, too.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that.
ReplyDeletenot just a helicopter parent, but an attack helicopter at that! Cobra Parent!
ReplyDeleteI was going to do one of my "Judge Strelnikov, Prosecutor Aaronovitch" skits, but....fuck their noise. The kid broke the rules....and notice all of this nonsense is keep the kid looking good for some college. Tough shit; the little motherfucker can go to school in Bosnia.
ReplyDeleteAND FUCKING LIKE IT!
The mental gymnastics needed to rationalize "My son broke the rules, there is a punishment attached to that, sue the school to avoid the punishment" are well beyond my ability.
ReplyDeleteClearly I am simply a dullard.
Remember when "honors" actually meant a student was both smart and ethical? Remember when dual credit classes were reserved for only the very brightest students? Remember when, if a student got in trouble at school, that trouble was ten times worse at home?
ReplyDeleteI feel as if any sense of right and wrong got swept out with the tide which resulted from helicopter parenting, which apparently now has the gravitational pull of the moon.
I used to teach Pre-Meds. Great group of people right? Nuh-uh.. Where do I begin: grade-grubbing, cheating, manipulating the dean, changing answers on tests and then claiming I mis-graded the problem, did I mention manipulating the Dean?
DeleteOne guy got a 4/5 on a problem because he left the units off. What do I care about units? he asked. Umm, you will kill your patients if you don't understand units of measure.
Before it's over with, we'll all need to fly overseas to get adequate medical care.
If we haven't arrived yet, we are headed toward a feudal society. Our very actions will be determined by whomever can make our life the biggest living hell.
DeleteBecause all it takes to throw the wrench in the gears is a legal team.
DeleteStrelnikov, was it ever this bad in Russia?
And the father sets such a good example to the kid to be an ethical human being. I bet this kid (and father) end up in one of our classes.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is any college that goes "This student wasn't enrolled in honors English AND IT WAS AVAILABLE NO COLLEGE FOR YOU" if the student otherwise has high test scores, a good GPA, and solid extracurriculars (and perhaps a solid, non-copied entrance essay). This parent's arguments are invalid and shitty on so many levels that it's almost funny.
ReplyDeleteYou haven't read the NYT regular thrashings about how hypercompetitive top level schools are, how the admissions officers could pick all valedictorians, all world-class athletes and artists, and only let in a few shitheads for diversity sake? Well, I think this kid just earned his spot....
DeleteMy students were shocked to hear this story. While doing a little on-line research for a class, I found an essay for sale. The seller proudly said that this was from his last year as an undergrad and named the discipline he was in. He then stated he was a new student at a very well known university law school.
ReplyDeleteI sent the information to the university law department. The next day the dean called me for more information as there was only one student who fit the categories listed and she wanted to make sure they had all details before proceeding. It turns out that all law students at that university must sign an ethics document. If the essay was posted after that form was signed, the student would face an ethics hearing.
The posting date was well after the term had started.
My students were pissed with me that I may have had a student at a different university disciplined or even expelled.
Oh I am so with you. A student of mine turned in an electronic copy of her paper with the edits from her law-school friend (full name, unusual enough to Google) visible in Track Changes. Huge chunks of text inserted, etc. I told her I was one phone call away from having him expelled from his law school.
DeleteRight on. I'm glad the dean took it seriously.
DeleteEthics are for suckers.
ReplyDeleteWhen I taught at Large Urban Catholic U, the department chair sat all of us adjuncts down at the beginning of the fall term and explained all about dealing with plagiarism. His words of advice: unless it's airtight, don't even bring it up. They'd had two students' parents sue the department in the previous year. Luckily (?) the department had won both times, and the parents were forced to pay. But the message was, AIRTIGHT or forget it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I find plagiarism, I build the case carefully. Most of the time, the student slouches in, admits defeat, and accepts the punishment (F in the course if it's intentional, re-write if it's not).
I know that there will come a time that I will find it, build my case, and have to take it to court. Because it seems like much of the US these days predicates its behavior on the statement I posted above: Ethics are for suckers, and you do whatever you have to do to "win"--and if you get caught, scream your denial from the rooftops, because there are enough assholes out there who will take up your banner and fight for your "fair trial."
Fuck.
But tenured silverbacks have full support, right? (Although the same lawsuit would result regardless of whether you are adjunct or silverback).
DeleteHopefully, this father will make enough of a splash that any school looking at his kid who Googles the name will find the story, and shred the application.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, do you think your kid has a better chance at getting into a top school with only normal English or a lawsuit against the school?
The father's name is Jack D Berghouse, for search engines. My brief search failed to turn up the plagiarists name.
I hope the judge throws the case out of court, and reprimands this parasite. And as for his spawn, my Mom would have slapped me so hard, a substance resembling oatmeal would have come out of my ears, so I never did.
ReplyDelete