Was it a Sexist Assumption? Conviction upheld on Appeal.

[DawnCt1]

I posted the original article two years ago. One of my DSs graduated from CCSU, and I was somewhat surprised that the school would handle it so poorly. To cut to the chase in this story from my memory of events, This young man, an average student, submitted a paper copy of his final exam prior to the deadline into the open mailbox of the professor. It had typos, some awkward grammar but was factually correct. It contained facts that were discussed in his particular study group of which Cristina was not a part of. In fact, she wasn't in his section. The young woman, Cristina was an A/B student submitted her paper just prior to the deadline. A week or two later, the young man received an email that his paper was never received. He resubmitted it electronically, and the professor took note that it was strikingly similar to Cristina's. He was accused of plagarism, received essentially no hearing by the university, and the refusal of the professor and the administration to look at the time dates on his computer, etc and he was expelled. This resulted in his loss of tuition for the year, some of his credits, his reputation and due to the financial impact, he had to return to community college. His family retained a lawyer and a computer forensic specialist, and at the cost of $26K, Cristina, who had already graduated and was teaching school was found guilty of plagarism and ordered to pay him $100 for the use of his paper and his court cost. He was reinstated into CCSU, having lost a year or more. She appealed and lost.
I think that there was a huge assumption on the part of the school, the professor and the adminstration that this "good student" female student would never have stolen a paper from an average male student with poor writing skills, despite the fact that some of his errors and typos went uncorrected in her paper. The school handled it poorly, and while I don't know what CCSU did to "make him whole", I would like to think that he was able to complete his education at the cost of the University.



Here is the link to the archives of the entire story. Interesting reading. http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-ccsucheatingsuit-sg,0,7501560.storygallery

Plagiarism Ruling Against CCSU Student Upheld On Appeal

The Hartford Courant

March 11, 2010

The state Appellate Court has unanimously upheld a Waterbury Superior Court ruling against a Central Connecticut State University graduate who fought plagiarism accusations.

Cristina Duquette, of Watertown, was ordered in 2008 to pay Matthew Coster, also a CCSU student, $100 for the use of his term paper and nearly $26,000 in damages. Duquette insisted Coster copied her paper. Coster filed a lawsuit, and a judge ruled that Duquette copied Coster's report. On Wednesday, the Appellate Court said the lower court's ruling was supported by the evidence.

Coster, of New Milford, was expelled from CCSU in 2006 over the alleged plagiarism incident. He was later readmitted.

— Associated Press http://www.courant.com/news/education/hc-qt-ct0311.artmar11,0,6304238.story

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I'm not sure what you mean by "sexist" assumption.

For whatever reason they did not get teh original and assumed he copied her paper since her paper was received first. I'm guessing she "stole" it of course.

But in absence of his paper--they went with what they thought they knew.

It is unfortunate that they refused due process to him and I am pleased that he sued and won.

To me they should rescind her diploma and make her retake the class since she never actually completed it.

I wonder how many more papers she stole and what her "proof" was that it was her original copy.

 

[DawnCt1]

I'm not sure what you mean by "sexist" assumption.

For whatever reason they did not get teh original and assumed he copied her paper since her paper was received first. I'm guessing she "stole" it of course.

But in absence of his paper--they went with what they thought they knew.

It is unfortunate that they refused due process to him and I am pleased that he sued and won.

To me they should rescind her diploma and make her retake the class since she never actually completed it.

I wonder how many more papers she stole and what her "proof" was that it was her original copy.

After his paper was submitted, he provided proof that he had created the paper on his computer first. Even faced with conflicting information from her computer with regard to dates of document creation, there were assumptions made that she, a good student, who happened to be a woman, would not have cheated, and that he, a very average student would not be the subject of that type of theft. Some of this impression for me at least, came from interviews in the broadcast media at the time. I agree that she should have lost her diploma but she should have faced what he faced; Expulsion from CCSU and be denied the ability to retake the class.

 

[disadventurer]

I'm not sure what you mean by "sexist" assumption.

For whatever reason they did not get teh original and assumed he copied her paper since her paper was received first. I'm guessing she "stole" it of course.

But in absence of his paper--they went with what they thought they knew.

It is unfortunate that they refused due process to him and I am pleased that he sued and won.

To me they should rescind her diploma and make her retake the class since she never actually completed it.

I wonder how many more papers she stole and what her "proof" was that it was her original copy.

Agreed!! I'm a CCSU graduate 1979. What a shame "justice" takes so long; and, for both parties.

 

[DawnCt1]

Agreed!! I'm a CCSU graduate 1979. What a shame "justice" takes so long; and, for both parties.

Unfortunately, I do not think that there were any repercussions for her, other than paying $26K. She gets to keep her diploma. She gets to keep her job as a teacher and the salary, and the $26K is a little more than it would cost her to find another university and attend for a year. She got off with a slap on the wrist.

 

[FireDancer]

I think the school made assumptions based on their academic record and past history not their sex. It doesn't make it any more or less egregious but I don't think it makes it sexist.

 

[agnes!]

Cristina Duquette...I think I'm going remember that name. Hope she never turns up as a professional for anyone I care about. After all, she was willing to cheat to get a grade....how can I be sure of anything her degree attests to?

agnes!

 

[Hercules10]

Was the prof. that initiate the whole mess male or female?

I couldn't decipher that from all this.

 

[lillygator]

I think the school made assumptions based on their academic record and past history not their sex. It doesn't make it any more or less egregious but I don't think it makes it sexist.

I agree.

 

[allison443]

I remember you posting originally about this...interesting case.
I agree with the others-I think the assumptions were made based on their academic standing, not on their gender.

I'm glad the studen was cleared. Is cristina going to be able to keep her teaching job?

 

[allison443]

Was the prof. that initiate the whole mess male or female?

I couldn't decipher that from all this.

According to the links, the history professor was male.

 

[DawnCt1]

Was the prof. that initiate the whole mess male or female?

I couldn't decipher that from all this.

Male.

 

[DawnCt1]

I remember you posting originally about this...interesting case.
I agree with the others-I think the assumptions were made based on their academic standing, not on their gender.

I'm glad the studen was cleared. Is cristina going to be able to keep her teaching job?

She was teaching throughout the court proceedings. I would assume nothing has changed or it would have been "news".

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

I think the school made assumptions based on their academic record and past history not their sex. It doesn't make it any more or less egregious but I don't think it makes it sexist.

X2

I'd say the better student should always deserve the benefit of the doubt. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that 4 times out of 5, the school's assumptions would have been correct.

 

[DawnCt1]

X2

I'd say the better student should always deserve the benefit of the doubt. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that 4 times out of 5, the school's assumptions would have been correct.

Unfortunately, the professor, nor the school wanted to look at the details on his computer. While the assumptions; that the better student deserves the benefit of the doubt may often be correct, the benefit of the doubt should be extended to both students and both students should be allowed to make their case. I can't imagine what it would be like to be accused of plagerism, expelled from school, unable to transfer to another school because of the accusation and KNOW you are innocent. I haven't reviewed all of the archives, but there were so many inconsistencies with regard to her computer, lies that she lost her lap top, did it on someone else's, and yet, the school stood by her and tossed him to the wolves. Not good.

 

[DawnCt1]

If I remember correctly, when I first posted this two years ago, before the outcome was known, many on this board assumed that he was the liar and she was being falsely accused by him.

 

[okeydokey]

I see this as having absolutely nothing to do with gender or sexism. The school was wrong but gender isn't a factor.

 

[SKWDW]

No, it wasn't a sexist assumption. The prof and the school made assumptions based on the students' academic records and past histories, not their gender.

They were WRONG, just not sexist.

 

[Northstar]

Look, we will never know who should get credit for this paper.

The prof's mistakes were 1. allowing students to do the assignment as a take-home, apparently assuming that they would not work together or get help, but with no mechanism for ensuring that they were not getting help
AND 2. assuming that, if two students' papers were similar, this means that ONE of them stole the paper from the OTHER. What if they worked together... then both cheated. What if they both bought the paper off somebody else, who figured "hey, they can't exactly accuse me of ripping them off by selling them both the same paper." Then both cheated. There are so many possible scenarios... we really don't have any evidence for knowing whether the woman did in fact grab the guy's paper and copy it, just that it seems probable.


The male student's mistake was putting an important assignment into an open mailbox, with apparently not even an email notification "hey, I put this into your mailbox, did you get it?" Well, maybe that was the prof's mistake, too, if he told students to submit assignments this way. Hey,even way back in the days of dinosaurs when I went to university, we got the department secretary to record receipt of assignments we were dropping off.


I can't believe the prof was dumb enough to think he had adequate evidence of who stole what. He may be convinced, based on what he knows of the students' prior work, that he knows... but he must have known that he didn't have a leg to stand on. And the school was mega-dumb to think they could get away with it.

The decision is correct... reinstate him and don't go after her. The school has absolutely no basis for proving that SHE was the one who plagiarized, and this is the fault of their vague and lackadaisical policies.