Parents sue school after son punished for using AI on mission

NEW YORK, Oct 16: The parents of a Massachusetts teenager have sued his high school, alleging their son was wrongly accused of cheating for using an AI tool to aid his research on a history paper .

Jennifer and Dale Harris said their son used AI only for research purposes and not to write a paper. “They told us our son cheated on a paper, which is not the case,” Jennifer said.

Following the school’s discovery of the use of AI, the student was placed in detention and his grade suffered. The lawsuit claims this incident could cause “irreparable harm,” especially as he applies to elite colleges based on his academic performance. He also alleges that he was not allowed to join the National Honor Society.

The Harris family is seeking solutions, including removal of any zero grades for the assignment and an immediate adjustment of their son’s social studies grade to a “B,” as well as retroactive induction into the National Honor Society.

The filing criticizes the school’s unclear AI policies, noting that the handbook mentions that “unauthorized use of technology” can be considered cheating but lacks specific guidelines. It defines plagiarism as the unauthorized use of other people’s thoughts, including AI, and emphasizes that teachers must give a failing grade for cheating and notify parents.

Jennifer Harris urged the school to clarify AI use policies, saying, “I wish they would put in place an AI policy that made sense. » The file also requests training for school administrators on the implementation of AI by an external expert.

In response, a Hingham Public Schools spokesperson declined to comment, citing privacy concerns and pending litigation.