HINGHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - The parents of a high school student in Hingham are taking legal action after they say their son was punished for using artificial intelligence on a project.
The Harris family is suing Hingham High School, claiming school administrators unfairly punished their son for using AI to generate notes on a history paper outline. As a result, they said their son received a bad grade and did not get accepted into the National Honor Society.
“He’s an A student, an A plus student. He has gotten so many awards from the school before and after this,” said Jennifer Harris, the student’s mother. “My son’s rights have been violated and he’s being treated differently.”
The family said the situation has greatly impacted their son’s chances of getting into an Ivy League college and they are hoping for major changes within the school district.
“He doesn’t need to cheat. He’s not that kid who is trying to bring a D grade up by using AI,” Harris said.
The school district filed a motion to dismiss the case, saying “the discipline was consistent with the applicable student handbook.”
The handbook states that AI should not be used “during in-class examinations, processed writing assignments, homework or classwork unless explicitly permitted and instructed.”
According to the Harris family, this AI policy was added after their son’s paper was submitted.
“This is an abuse of power and they are making an example of a minor that broke a rule that didn’t exist,” Harris said.
Peter Farrell, the family’s lawyer, said that as a parent himself, he’s passionate about the case and the future of AI in education.
“Our position has been and remains: it’s not plagiarism, it’s not cheating. This is a new technology that has emerged. I think that this young man has true promise and he’s being held back,” Farrell said.
The parents said their son has dealt with backlash from teachers and fellow students alike.
“I want it to end, he is so stressed. They’ve besmirched his character, basically,” Harris said.
The student’s father is a teacher at Hingham Public Schools. The district did not comment on the issue.
A hearing regarding the incident is scheduled for next Tuesday.
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