Families File Lawsuit Against Educational Institute for Penalizing Pupil Employing Artificial Intelligence in Completing Homework
A fiery, controversy-drenched powerhouse has waltzed into the nightmare of AI debates in education: aggravated parents, armed with lawsuits, claiming their child might miss out on an elite university due to AI prohibition in schoolwork.
In what seems to be the first such Court battle, at least in Massachusetts, the Harris family have sued their school district after punishing their son for employing AI tools in a history project. Dale and Jennifer Harris argue that the Hingham High School handbook didn't explicitly outlaw using AI for assignments, and the penalty imposed upon their son - Saturday detention and a score of 65 out of 100 on the assignment - has undermined his chances for Stanford University and other top-tier institutions.
"Defendants persistently pursued a path of threats, intimidation, and coercion, aiming to damage and derail our son's future and his impeccable record," the Harris family alleges in their lawsuit, initially filed in state superior court before being relocated to a federal district court.
Hingham Public Schools, however, asserts that its student handbook forbids the use of "unauthorized technology" and "unauthorized use or close mimicking of another author's language and thoughts, passing it off as one's own work."
The district stated in a recent motion to dismiss that the discipline imposed upon the Harris' son was "relatively lenient" and that approving claims in this case would "encourage unsatisfied parents and students to challenge day-to-day discipline, even grading of students, in state and federal courts."
Within weeks of OpenAI releasing ChatGPT in 2022, schools recognized the potential hazard that free and instantly accessible generative AI posed to academic integrity. Some districts enforced outright bans on the technology for students, only to promptly reverse course. State departments of education have gradually issued guidance for local districts, but in many areas, there's no clear consensus on how students should utilize generative AI.
A survey by the Center for Democracy and Technology discovered that schools have been increasingly disciplining students for employing AI – with historically marginalized students, such as students of color and English language learners, being disproportionately punished for rule violations.
The Harris family alleges their son was unjustly targeted by the Hingham school district, applying discipline inconsistently. After the cheating incident, they claim, the district didn't offer their son a spot in the National Honor Society, but it had previously allowed an AI-using student to join the society.
The district rebutted in its motion to dismiss that the Harris' son has indeed been granted entry into the National Honor Society after an initial deferral.
The lawsuit also queries whether using AI for assignments should be prohibited entirely. It cites that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education hasn't issued any rules or guidance for schools regarding the use of technology.
"Generative AI constitutes an evolving frontier, and its use is here to stay," the lawsuit declares.
- The Harris family, in their lawsuit, claim that the Hingham High School handbook did not explicitly prohibit the use of AI for assignments, and they argue that the penalty imposed on their son, due to his use of AI in a history project, has negatively impacted his future chances at elite universities like Stanford.
- Within weeks of the release of ChatGPT in 2022, schools began acknowledging the potential threats that generative AI posed to academic integrity, with some districts imposing outright bans on the technology, only to rescind them later.
- A survey by the Center for Democracy and Technology revealed that schools have been disproportionately punishing historically marginalized students, such as students of color and English language learners, for violating rules in relation to the use of AI.
- The Harris family alleges in their lawsuit that their son was unfairly targeted by the Hingham school district, as they assert that the district applied discipline inconsistently, withholding the National Honor Society spot from their son after a cheating incident, while previously allowing an AI-using student to join the society.