A federal judge has denied a request from the parents of a Massachusetts high school senior to expunge their son’s disciplinary record and raise his grade after he was accused of cheating by using an artificial intelligence (AI) program for a class assignment. U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Levenson ruled on Wednesday that Hingham High School officials had reasonable grounds to conclude that the student violated academic integrity policies by using AI-generated content without proper attribution.
The ruling comes as a significant decision amidst growing discussions about the role of AI in education. The judge noted that while generative AI presents new challenges for educators, the school’s plagiarism policy sufficiently informed students that they could not present AI-generated text as their own work.
The student, whose parents Jennifer and Dale Harris filed the lawsuit, was found to have copied and pasted text generated by an AI tool, including citations to fictitious sources, for an Advanced Placement U.S. History assignment. As a result, he received a Saturday detention and was initially barred from joining the National Honor Society, although he later gained admission.
The Harrises argue that the school violated their son’s due process rights under both the U.S. Constitution and Massachusetts law by not clearly communicating how academic honesty standards applied to AI use. They assert that their son was confused about the rules regarding AI, which were not explicitly prohibited at the time of the assignment.
In his ruling, Judge Levenson emphasized that the evidence indicated the student and his partner did not merely use AI to generate ideas but rather copied text indiscriminately without reviewing the sources provided.
Gareth Norris, representing Hingham High School, praised the ruling as “factually accurate and legally sound.” Meanwhile, Peter Farrell, attorney for the Harris family, described the ruling as preliminary and expressed hope for further development of their case as it progresses.
The lawsuit is notable as one of the first in the country addressing disciplinary actions related to AI use in academic settings. It highlights ongoing debates about how educational institutions should adapt policies to incorporate emerging technologies while maintaining academic integrity.
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