A high school student in Massachusetts was given a Saturday detention and a 65/100 mark for employing generative AI in an Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. Parents sue school to complete the history of the assignment without permission. After learning, the teacher gave detention and a lower grade to the students.
Dale and Jennifer Harris, the student’s parents, are currently suing the school. They contend that their son shouldn’t have been punished because the school handbook doesn’t explicitly say that students are not allowed to utilize AI for homework. They contend that their son only utilized AI to assist with his research and not to do the full work, and they feel that the school is punishing him in a way that will negatively impact his future.
Yet, the school maintains that they handled the matter in conformity with their policies and that the student was given a fair mark in light of the infraction. Though AI isn’t directly mentioned in the handbook, they feel the punishment was justified given their current practices.
This case may affect how schools look at AI use in the future, which could have a greater effect than simply this student. Schools may need to revise their policies to properly define when and how students can utilize AI in their work if the court rules in favor of the parents. This might provide a significant standard for future treatment of generative AI in education.
