Jennifer and Dale Harris, the parents of a Massachusetts teenager in the Hingham Public Schools system, are suing over their son's failing grade. The school accused the student of cheating on a school assignment by using it.
In an interview with WCVBexplained Jennifer Harris, “They told us our son cheated on a paper, which he didn't.”
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According to the federal court filing, the Harrises claim their son “will suffer irreparable harm” from the detention and failing grade as he is “applying to elite colleges and universities given his high level of academic and personal achievement. “. The file says he was barred from joining the National Honor Society.
The parents say that the school “did not have any rules, policies or procedures defined not only for the use of artificial intelligence, but what any administrator, faculty or student should do when they encounter its use”.
ABC News reviewed the school's handbook and reports that it states that “unauthorized use of technology, including artificial intelligence” can be considered an act of fraud or plagiarism. And it goes on to say that teachers who learn about a student's cheating should “record a failing grade for that assignment for each student involved.”
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The Harrises are calling for the school to “exclude any grade of zero from grade calculations for the coursework” and “immediately repair, reinstate and correct plaintiff student's letter grade in Social Studies to a grade of 'B.'
The school told ABC News it is not commenting to protect the student's privacy.
Meanwhile, we asked ChatGPT for its take on the situation. Here's AI's reaction:
“It really depends on the context and the guidelines set by the school or teacher. If the use of AI was against the rules and the student didn't discover it, then a failing grade could be justified. However, if the task was meant to encourage creativity or the exploration of tools, a conversation about appropriate use and academic integrity may be most helpful.