Why would an Ivy League college suspend a destitute Black boy for a year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did he ask you for money in the facebook message? Sounds like a scam.

No. He isn't sure what to and I don't even know where to begin to try and help. I'm stuck on such a wealthy university even doing something so cruel and what motivates such a punishment after they set a trap to pick off low-hanging fruit (with secret stalking software to catch him cheating on an assignment). The teen boy needs tutors, mentors, and access to campus resources. Instead a college with tens of billions of dollars made him homeless in a city with violent crime and overdoses at historic highs. This is suppose to, what, teach him a lesson? In addition to being homeless, he lost his university health care. Maybe he can get diagnosed with cancer before they let him come back, that'll really teach him a lesson. I'm sorry, this is all so disgusting.

You are way overreacting and catastrophizing. You are not going to be helpful with this attitude. He needs to contact the university, explain the circumstances, and ask for a meeting or a hearing.

But blaming the university for his cheating is absurd. Anti-cheating software, however obnoxious, is in widespread use in high schools and colleges, and the fact of its existence is not a secret. He cheated. He got caught. He skipped the meeting to discuss it. (And this is all assuming you're even getting the whole story.) They aren't trying to entrap students -- no one made him cheat, or tricked him into cheating. No one made him skip the meeting. Acting like it's some kind of nefarious conspiracy to destroy him is both silly and counterproductive. Because if he doesn't take responsibility, he's not going to get far in terms of persuading the administration to reduce the suspension.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Taking a quick look at some ivy league school penalties, among them I see a range (not tied to any specific violation): verbal warning, written warning, negative grade for assignment, failing the course, reprimand, restriction, probation, suspension, dismissal, and expulsion.

Hit enter too soon. OP, look up the school and its honor code or academic integrity section.

Does their process go from cheat once to suspended a year?

Use your energy for positive and help him with the appeals process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: At this point, you are aware of the young man's circumstances. Why not assist him in getting housing and a job ?

With respect to the punishment received, maybe the young man can get the school to grant him a hearing in mitigation of the punishment as the student is not contesting the charge of cheating. Try to get the school to agree to remove this incident from the student's permanent record if he completes his degree requirements without further cheating infractions / offenses.

Advise the young man to act like a responsible young adult by accepting responsibility without blaming others and asking the school for a reconsideration of the disciplinary decision.

But, first, ask the young man whether he had any prior disciplinary actions against him while at this school. Tell him that embarrassment is not a defense and it is not a strategy.

He forwarded me an email chain. It appears he fessed up to the professor immediately. The professor immediately used the confession in writing to turn him into administration. It is clear that the professor was pretending to be an on his side "good cop" to bait him to confess. The professor then used this confession to help railroad him. I am sure all of the rich white, Asian and Indian PhDs I see CCd on the email chain feel really big and smug taking down a destitute Black teenager.

You raise some issues and concerns worthy of discussion, but the last sentence is not helpful.

So the young man can ask for a hearing to lessen his punishment based on the fact that he admitted his wrongdoing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did he ask you for money in the facebook message? Sounds like a scam.

No. He isn't sure what to and I don't even know where to begin to try and help. I'm stuck on such a wealthy university even doing something so cruel and what motivates such a punishment after they set a trap to pick off low-hanging fruit (with secret stalking software to catch him cheating on an assignment). The teen boy needs tutors, mentors, and access to campus resources. Instead a college with tens of billions of dollars made him homeless in a city with violent crime and overdoses at historic highs. This is suppose to, what, teach him a lesson? In addition to being homeless, he lost his university health care. Maybe he can get diagnosed with cancer before they let him come back, that'll really teach him a lesson. I'm sorry, this is all so disgusting.

You are way overreacting and catastrophizing. You are not going to be helpful with this attitude. He needs to contact the university, explain the circumstances, and ask for a meeting or a hearing.

But blaming the university for his cheating is absurd. Anti-cheating software, however obnoxious, is in widespread use in high schools and colleges, and the fact of its existence is not a secret. He cheated. He got caught. He skipped the meeting to discuss it. (And this is all assuming you're even getting the whole story.) They aren't trying to entrap students -- no one made him cheat, or tricked him into cheating. No one made him skip the meeting. Acting like it's some kind of nefarious conspiracy to destroy him is both silly and counterproductive. Because if he doesn't take responsibility, he's not going to get far in terms of persuading the administration to reduce the suspension.

You contend nobody in the room or however such decisions are finalized suspected with near certainty or knew for a fact (based on his file) this was an unsophisticated destitute minority student with access to zero resources? Nonsense. Getting caught in this fashion alone, plus name, home city, high school, photo(?), written confession, and not showing for the interrogation, it is clear as day this was a humiliated and terrified Black boy born into urban poverty. They all knew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did he ask you for money in the facebook message? Sounds like a scam.

No. He isn't sure what to and I don't even know where to begin to try and help. I'm stuck on such a wealthy university even doing something so cruel and what motivates such a punishment after they set a trap to pick off low-hanging fruit (with secret stalking software to catch him cheating on an assignment). The teen boy needs tutors, mentors, and access to campus resources. Instead a college with tens of billions of dollars made him homeless in a city with violent crime and overdoses at historic highs. This is suppose to, what, teach him a lesson? In addition to being homeless, he lost his university health care. Maybe he can get diagnosed with cancer before they let him come back, that'll really teach him a lesson. I'm sorry, this is all so disgusting.

You are way overreacting and catastrophizing. You are not going to be helpful with this attitude. He needs to contact the university, explain the circumstances, and ask for a meeting or a hearing.

But blaming the university for his cheating is absurd. Anti-cheating software, however obnoxious, is in widespread use in high schools and colleges, and the fact of its existence is not a secret. He cheated. He got caught. He skipped the meeting to discuss it. (And this is all assuming you're even getting the whole story.) They aren't trying to entrap students -- no one made him cheat, or tricked him into cheating. No one made him skip the meeting. Acting like it's some kind of nefarious conspiracy to destroy him is both silly and counterproductive. Because if he doesn't take responsibility, he's not going to get far in terms of persuading the administration to reduce the suspension.

You contend nobody in the room or however such decisions are finalized suspected with near certainty or knew for a fact (based on his file) this was an unsophisticated destitute minority student with access to zero resources? Nonsense. Getting caught in this fashion alone, plus name, home city, high school, photo(?), written confession, and not showing for the interrogation, it is clear as day this was a humiliated and terrified Black boy born into urban poverty. They all knew.

Fine. You win. They were all out to get him. It was a big conspiracy. They were all in on it. Clearly, there's no point in him doing anything, because this obviously goes all the way to the top. The game is rigged. He is nothing but a helpless victim and has no agency in any of this.

[Anonymous]

Why does it matter the fact that he is a black?
Do not call “black boy”. Young man is much better than boy

[Anonymous]

I really hope this is a troll. What was the college supposed to do---nothing?

Whether or not he was aware of the software and whether or not he thinks rich kids have figured out ways to get around it are red herrings. He cheated. He got caught. THE END.

Your argument is analogous to someone who is convicted of drunk driving arguing that some people can afford to have breathalyzers on their cars and he can't, so he shouldn't be convicted. He's incredibly lucky that he only got suspended. Nobody railroaded him. You're using the term "entrap" incorrectly. Asking someone to do an assignment is not entrapment, for crying out loud.

A long time ago, Ted Kennedy hired a fellow student at Harvard to take a Spanish test for him because if he failed the test he would be ineligible to play sports. The proctor knew the person claiming to be Kennedy wasn't and Kennedy was immediately expelled from Harvard. It made the front page of the Boston Globe. Ted didn't get to argue that if I hadn't been a Kennedy the proctor would not have known what I look like and that the substitute was a different student.

In the 1970s, a star Harvard hockey player allegedly copied an article from the Suffolk (University) Law Review and turned it in as his paper. He "withdrew" from Harvard for a year--which at that time was the automatic sanction for a first offense. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1973/2/8/hockey-star-david-hynes-withdraws-from/

Somebody claiming to have been suspended from Columbia for 2 years for cheating--and blamed it on his mental health--asked
about what he should do on Quora. No idea if it's legit, but it seemed so.

And if the school in question here IS Columbia, you might want to read this. (Note, NY Supreme Court is a trial court, not the highest court in the state.) https://finance.yahoo.com/news/suspended-student-fails-challenges-columbia-052525879.html

So, don't make this all about him being black and poor--because it really isn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Taking a quick look at some ivy league school penalties, among them I see a range (not tied to any specific violation): verbal warning, written warning, negative grade for assignment, failing the course, reprimand, restriction, probation, suspension, dismissal, and expulsion.

OP? Still around? Was this the first offense? Did you look up the school's penalties?

[Anonymous]

OP, posts here have repeatedly asked you if you plan to take him in. No response from you. People have asked you how to plan to try to help him, and you have said he's asking for advice. But you are so full of rage you are paralyzed by it and incapable of giving him any constructive, calm advice. Please, please just try to connect him with someone who CAN advise him coolly and not in the strident language of "railroading" and "evil" plots. He cannot take your rage and your indignation and your language to the university and DO anything with it.

Also: He currenly has a suspension. That may be draconian but it is not the very worst thing--it at least means he has a spot to which he can return when the suspension is over. He should appeal (and YOU should NOT help him; you are too incandescent with rage and likely to harm his case, frankly).

But if he's lost his chance to appeal, or an appeal fails, he just may need to focus hard on how to navigate the suspension period (getting health coverage, a job, a place to live, and retaining whatever contact with the university that a suspended student is supposed to maintain to stay on their radar, so that when his time is "served" he's ready to return). This is where you could be helpful with financial support or connecting him with jobs or helping him figure out health coverage/care etc. If you can get past your own blinding anger. It does not benefit him in any way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: At this point, you are aware of the young man's circumstances. Why not assist him in getting housing and a job ?

With respect to the punishment received, maybe the young man can get the school to grant him a hearing in mitigation of the punishment as the student is not contesting the charge of cheating. Try to get the school to agree to remove this incident from the student's permanent record if he completes his degree requirements without further cheating infractions / offenses.

Advise the young man to act like a responsible young adult by accepting responsibility without blaming others and asking the school for a reconsideration of the disciplinary decision.

But, first, ask the young man whether he had any prior disciplinary actions against him while at this school. Tell him that embarrassment is not a defense and it is not a strategy.

He forwarded me an email chain. It appears he fessed up to the professor immediately. The professor immediately used the confession in writing to turn him into administration. It is clear that the professor was pretending to be an on his side "good cop" to bait him to confess. The professor then used this confession to help railroad him. I am sure all of the rich white, Asian and Indian PhDs I see CCd on the email chain feel really big and smug taking down a destitute Black teenager.

You raise some issues and concerns worthy of discussion, but the last sentence is not helpful.

So the young man can ask for a hearing to lessen his punishment based on the fact that he admitted his wrongdoing.

Once again, how, precisely, was he railroaded? I'm not sure you know the meaning of the term.

[Anonymous]

I see so much outrage in the original post and so few actual facts. OP, he’s feeding you an incomplete story. Everyone feels wronged, even people who are objectively the ones at fault. There is no way this was a first offense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He cheated and then skipped the meeting to discuss it? How is the college supposed to know that he's so economically precarious that he will be homeless (if he can't what, live in the dorms?) if he doesn't go to the meetings? Presumably, they figured he would go live at home or wherever he lived last year. But yes, he is supposed to learn his lesson and not cheat anymore.

He was not a remote student, he was living in the dorm as required. It was not a remote course, it was an online assignment.

Well they can't have a suspended student living in dorms. They didn't kick him to the street. "You don't gotta go home, but ya can't stay here."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: At this point, you are aware of the young man's circumstances. Why not assist him in getting housing and a job ?

With respect to the punishment received, maybe the young man can get the school to grant him a hearing in mitigation of the punishment as the student is not contesting the charge of cheating. Try to get the school to agree to remove this incident from the student's permanent record if he completes his degree requirements without further cheating infractions / offenses.

Advise the young man to act like a responsible young adult by accepting responsibility without blaming others and asking the school for a reconsideration of the disciplinary decision.

But, first, ask the young man whether he had any prior disciplinary actions against him while at this school. Tell him that embarrassment is not a defense and it is not a strategy.

He forwarded me an email chain. It appears he fessed up to the professor immediately. The professor immediately used the confession in writing to turn him into administration. It is clear that the professor was pretending to be an on his side "good cop" to bait him to confess. The professor then used this confession to help railroad him. I am sure all of the rich white, Asian and Indian PhDs I see CCd on the email chain feel really big and smug taking down a destitute Black teenager.

You are a racist, plain and simple. You do a grave disservice to your mentee peddling this kind of crap. Instead of helping, you are acting a victim screaming into the void.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All cheating is bad regardless and if you take a chance cheating, you take a chance of getting caught. No sympathy, whether it's him or my wealthy white/South Asian daughter.

Thank you for dropping your mask and revealing your racism and classism. I feel sorry for you that you can't seeing the evil involved when Ivy League PhDs bait and entrap low-income unsophisticated students with online assignments loaded with tracking software, railroad them with Ivy bureaucracy when they know they have zero resources, and quite literally make them homeless for a year. A college with tens of billions of dollars in an endowment. Literally putting this teen boy in jail for a year would be safer. At least he would have shelter and food.

Sounds like you are blaming the pp, not the person who cheated and didn't go to the meeting to see if he could be helped. This is not how you or the kid is going to do well in this society. Calling people racist or classist doesn't change anything. I am sorry you don't see this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All cheating is bad regardless and if you take a chance cheating, you take a chance of getting caught. No sympathy, whether it's him or my wealthy white/South Asian daughter.

Thank you for dropping your mask and revealing your racism and classism. I feel sorry for you that you can't seeing the evil involved when Ivy League PhDs bait and entrap low-income unsophisticated students with online assignments loaded with tracking software, railroad them with Ivy bureaucracy when they know they have zero resources, and quite literally make them homeless for a year. A college with tens of billions of dollars in an endowment. Literally putting this teen boy in jail for a year would be safer. At least he would have shelter and food.

Sounds like you are blaming the pp, not the person who cheated and didn't go to the meeting to see if he could be helped. This is not how you or the kid is going to do well in this society. Calling people racist or classist doesn't change anything. I am sorry you don't see this.

I have empathy for the poor - do you? I recognize signs of anxiety, depression, humiliation, and zero resources - do Ivy League PhDs?