Corona Del Mar High School Cracks Down on Cheating

Early last month, the Newport Mesa School District expelled 11 students in relation to a recent cheating scandal that unfolded involving a private tutor. According to Yahoo News, eight students aided in changing their grades in the schools computer system, with help of a private tutor. The other three students were aware of the cheating, but did nothing about it, which got them expelled as well for the same crime.  Their punishments will be equal to the other students, who will all be charged accordingly.  Though unknown as to how the private tutor hacked into the school’s computer system, 11 students will pay the consequence.

Six of the 11 students expelled have already left the school district, and will finish out the remainder of their senior year elsewhere.  It is unclear whether the students’ college applications will be affected, though it is likely.  Every college has the opportunity to request personal files and records to be sent along with transcripts.  Though parental permission is required for any confidential files, these students who made headline news will most likely be blacklisted.

As for the students who were expelled, it is unknown how their grades will be affected with the transfer, and the punishment could be worse than anticipated. The expulsion agreements of any school district allows them to bypass any hearing where officials would be required to provide evidence of the students cheating, which doesn’t leave these students with much saving grace.  The parents of each student decided against challenging their punishments in court, and for good reason; challenging this case in court would most definitely prolong the case and continue after these students would have already graduated at another high school.

As for the student tutor who may have potentially ruined these teens lives, the consequences could be big.  This case may go to the federal courts, and the accused remains at-large.  As an outsider of the school district, this tutor could be facing a large fine, and potential probation for hacking into a school’s system and altering with the software.

This case is bringing a considerable amount of attention to the school system in a negative way.  Many parents of other children who attend the Newport Mesa school district think the punishment is too extreme.  Josh Granger, whose daughter currently attends Corona Del Mar High School, said, “All children make mistakes, and all have to pay the consequence and learn from these(mistakes).  Kicking them out of their senior year, and potentially altering their future and college acceptances is outrageous.”(Yahoo News).  Granger and other parents have attempted to help these children through signing a petition, but this most likely will not help, as each school system runs its own court system.

The plans for the other five students who did not immediately move to another district are unknown, though their options are limited.  A friendly reminder that rises with this scandal is that all mistakes come with consequences.