The school board will meet Tuesday to determine whether or not to continue the suspension of four students who were caught cheating on a research paper.

 

“All four broke the honor code of the English class by doing this,” English department chair Clara Barton said. “I think their punishment is equitable for what they did.”

 

School rules have outlined the punishment procedures to those who buy research papers which include a seven day suspension from school. During those seven days, the students have an opportunity to rewrite their paper for a maximum grade of a 70.

 

“For years we have made students sign agreements saying they would not buy ‘canned’ research papers,” Barton said. “It is written in the agreement that if they are caught buying one they will be punished, and the punishment is explained in the agreement.”

 

By signing the agreement, the student’s agreed to spend 30 hours doing research and writing the paper; not to copy another student’s papers, and to use three different sources of information. The agreement also outlined the punishments for breaking the rules.

 

“The agreement we sign is like everything else in school,” senior Sandy Peoples said. They stick it under our noses, and we sign it without really reading it. I guess kids will start reading what they sign from now on.”

 

Parents of three of the four students involved in the cheating incident have filed lawsuits. The rules say that during the suspension, the students will not be able to make up work for other classes, and the parents claim that the punishment is a violation of their right to a full education.

 

“I admit, I was one of the people who bought a research paper,” senior William Jefferson said. “ It was one of those things, though, that I had to do.”

 

Jefferson works 30 hours every week. He is also in advanced calculus, one act play, and is preparing for the state Lincoln-Douglas debate tournament.

 

“According to our lawyers, the parents’ lawyers really don’t have much of a case, especially since the students signed an agreement outlining the different actions that would result if the students were caught cheating” Aleman said.