As AI tools like ChatGPT become more popular, they’re finding their way into classrooms, sparking debates on how students should be allowed to use them. A recent lawsuit filed in Massachusetts highlights this issue, as a couple claims their son’s future has been put at risk due to punishment for using AI on a school assignment.
Dale and Jennifer Harris have sued their local school district after Hingham High School disciplined their son for using generative AI on a history project. According to the lawsuit, their son received Saturday detention and a grade of 65 out of 100, a consequence the parents argue could harm his chances of getting into prestigious universities like Stanford. The Harris family believes that the school’s student handbook didn’t clearly prohibit the use of AI tools for assignments, reports Gizmodo.
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“The defendants continued on a pervasive, destructive, and merciless path of threats, intimidation, and coercion to impact and derail [our son’s] future and his exemplary record,” the family stated in their lawsuit. They initially filed the case in state court, but it has since been moved to federal district court.
In response, Hingham Public School defended its actions, saying their student handbook clearly prohibits the use of “unauthorised technology” and plagiarism. The district argues that the punishment was “relatively lenient” and expressed concern that overturning their decision would encourage more parents to challenge day-to-day school discipline in court.
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The broader conversation about AI in schools has been ongoing since OpenAI released ChatGPT in 2022. Many schools, recognising the potential threat to academic integrity, quickly moved to ban AI tools. However, some districts have since eased those restrictions, and guidance from state education departments has been slow to develop. Currently, there is no clear consensus on how schools should handle students using AI.
The Harris family also claims that their son was treated unfairly, pointing out that another student who used AI to complete an English paper was allowed into the National Honor Society, while their son was initially denied. However, the district later confirmed that the Harris’ son was eventually accepted.
The lawsuit further questions whether using AI on assignments should be prohibited at all, noting that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has not issued any specific rules on the matter. “Generative AI is an emerging landscape and its use is here to stay,” the lawsuit states.