The parents of a high school senior in Massachusetts have filed a lawsuit against the school and teachers after their son received detention and a low grade for using artificial intelligence (AI) in a social studies project. The lawsuit alleges that their son, who had a perfect score on his ACT and is applying to top tier colleges, will suffer irreparable harm if the grade is not changed, as it allegedly kept him out of the National Honor Society and could impact his chances of getting into his desired schools. The parents argue that the school punished their son for a rule that did not exist in the school’s handbook at the time he used AI for his project.
The school reportedly called the use of AI plagiarism, while the parents and their lawyer maintain that AI is the property of the person who generated it and is not considered plagiarism. The student’s father argued that the school can still change his grade and allow him into the National Honor Society to make it clear that he did not cheat on his paper. The family’s lawyer pointed out that there is a significant amount of information available that supports the argument that AI is not plagiarism, further challenging the school’s decision to penalize the student for his project.
The dispute revolves around the lack of a specific rule against using AI in projects in the school’s code of conduct handbook and the school’s decision to penalize the student, leading to consequences that could impact his academic and career prospects. The parents’ plea to the school to reconsider the punishment and change their son’s grade in light of his academic achievements and future aspirations reflects their concern about the potential long-term consequences of the school’s decision. The student had already missed the rolling admissions deadlines at his desired schools due to the situation, highlighting the urgency of addressing the issue promptly.
The student’s parents expressed concern that the school’s actions could jeopardize his chances of getting into top tier colleges such as Stanford and MIT, as his grade on the project could impact his application. The mother argued that the school was punishing their son for a rule that was not clearly established in their handbook until after he was penalized for using AI in his project. The family’s lawyer emphasized the need for the school to rectify the situation, as the student had already faced consequences such as missing admissions deadlines and receiving a low grade based on a misunderstanding of AI and plagiarism.
The lawsuit underscores the tensions between traditional academic expectations and emerging technologies such as AI, raising questions about how schools should address innovation in student projects and what constitutes plagiarism in a digital age. The family’s legal action challenges the school’s decision and seeks to rectify the harm caused to their son’s academic record and college prospects due to the alleged misunderstanding of the use of AI in his project. The outcome of the lawsuit and the school’s response to the parents’ concerns will likely shape future discussions around incorporating AI and other technologies into student assignments and academic assessments.
