so right before winter break started my math teacher accused me of rewriting my test answers. however she kept asking me ‘are u sure u didn’t cheat?’ which led me to (stupidly) say I did cheat. she kept saying this wasn’t ok and that I should be punished for it, so I said sorry. the next day she told me she reported the cheating to the hs office and that I should tell everything to the principal and confess. scared and confused, I apologized to her again and said that I cheated to the principal.
the next day, I came to my senses and apologized to the principal saying that I lied to him and that I didn’t cheat. however, I’m not sure how much he believes me and I’m scared that I might be receiving a suspension. however, the teacher doesn’t have evidence of me cheating and keeps insisting that in her memory she remembers my answer as being this rather than the one on the paper. how do I appeal to the principal??
I’m not entirely clear about what your teacher is accusing you of doing (taking back a previously submitted exam, changing the answer, and resubmitting before grading???), or why you admitted to something you didn’t do, but my advice would be to get your parents involved ASAP. You are in HS, you don’t need to navigate this alone.
Why would you admit to something you didn’t do?
she accused me of changing my answer on one of the questions on a test. i also admitted to this because 1) i dont really have a good relationship with the teacher and 2) i was scared and it just slipped out. i said no at first but she kept asking me questions so i just said yes to diffuse the tension
Your transcripts, and everything on them, will be sent to the new high school. If you have to change schools it seems like a serious issue. Were you expelled?
I’m also not 100% clear on what happened. You should be able to change your answer until the test is turned in, but obviously not when you are going over it in class the next day. However, it does sound like your teacher wasn’t even 100% sure she had a case, and, without stronger evidence, confession under duress is murky at best. So perhaps you might want to get your parents involved to ensure a fair hearing and facilitate a truce.
A fair outcome might be that you are required to take another test.
should i also try hiring a lawyer to help out with this case? in a recent email she sent me she told me that ‘she was going to let this go, but now she wasn’t and she’s going to see me suspended.’ she keeps insisting that in her memory, i wrote 2 equations and thus that’s why she gave me 2 points, and that behind her back, i wrote 2 more numbers to get the right answer. even my mom asked if she had any proof but she keeps telling me, my mom, and the principal that she remembers my previous answer
no, but i was recently falsely accused of cheating. however, since it’s an unresolved issue, why would this go on my transcript/disciplinary record?
I was wondering what would happen if there was an unresolved disciplinary issue at ur past high school. would they have to report it to colleges or to ur new school? and if one left in the middle of the year to a new school, would that issue be shut down?
I wouldn’t be in a hurry to change schools because a teacher accused you of cheating and berated you until you said that you did. Harping on students to obtain a confession isn’t ethical. Have your mother follow up with the school principal and share that email with them. She’s taken a position she’s not going to back down from without some guidance from her bosses (the principal and school board).
if i did change schools however, would my previous school report this incident to the new school? however, im also scared that the principal might not believe me as i already said i did do it, and then changed my answer the next day.
You admitted cheating. To the teacher, then the principal. Then you recanted.
Doesn’t make sense.
Yes, you may get suspended. Or not.
That, and whether it shows up on a transcript, depends on your school’s policies.
It does sound like someone told you, after taking blame, to deny. So?
Don’t change schools over this. That makes you look guilty and then you’ll have no leverage over what the old school reports to colleges (both transcripts would have to go everywhere you apply). At least if you are currently enrolled you are in a better position to work this out, build a better reputation and relationship with other teachers who you will need to write college LORs for you, and the school isn’t going to be able to avoid dealing with you or your parents until you graduate.
I would have your parents come to an agreement where you can retake the test. That seems fair to all parties given the lack of facts from both sides. Then you’ve got to avoid these kinds of situations in the future: behave in class, be respectful of teachers and classmates alike in language and in deeds, make sure your body language is comfortable, confident, and not hostile or off-putting. Think before you speak. You are going to be under close scrutiny even after this passes.
I think a lawyer would be over-the-top at this point, but I’m not in your shoes. My instinct is to save the money for now and give your parents a little bit more time to work this out. It’s break time, no? You won’t be able to have another conversation with anyone from the school for another few days to a week.
Edited to say that @lookingforward is quite probably correct, but I am giving you the benefit of the doubt.
To those who are asserting that the OP’s “confession” trumps everything else, please do some reading into the latest court decisions – including the otherwise conservative SCOTUS – on the different ways in which juvenile minds may process such issues and decisions. OP’s account is not unusual or unbelievable to this observer, and I would definitely recommend consulting an attorney @colleges128.
@lookingforward yes, i know it looks suspicious especially from the principal’s point of view. however, i was (and still am) scared of her. she has been talking about me behind my back to the other classes and she took advantage of her position to tell me i needed to tell the principal i cheated right as she was telling me that she reported the incident to the hs office. in my defense, she was very mad that day due to another student and so the only thought i had was to appease her and didnt think of the consequences. however, since theres no evidence to state that i did cheat, wouldnt that make the principal doubt my teacher as well??
@Groundwork2022 im currently in the middle of my senior year, so quite honestly, im not sure what to do.
“…precedent when it held that a confession made by a juvenile with significant intellectual and social limitations was voluntary—and, if so, whether on de novo review the confession was involuntary.”
That ruling?
Would it be OP’s defense that he’s intellectually and socially impaired?
Look, this is the high school dominion. And we don’t know how long a ruling would take. Or what year in hs. Plus, just as OP states the teacher has no proof, nor does OP. It’s he said/she said.
The one I’d consult is the GC, see if he/she would back up OP in any discipline explanation.
A lot of cart before the horse here.
OP, we x-posted. What college targets? It’s dicey to use the “intimdated” or “angry” defense. Depending on your college hopes, the more competitive won’t find that mature.
Talk to your GC. Get a parent involved, if needed. Maybe your school policy doesn’t report discipline.
@lookingforward what do you suggest i say for my defense then? my school policy does report discipline, so that’s why im considering hiring a lawyer. i dont want this mistake of a confession to impact my future.
@lookingforward im also worried my parents might not be enough. they’re immigrants, so they’re not very good at speaking english and thus im scared the school might misinterpret or take advantage of this.
What targets and have you already applied?