I got accused of cheating

My history teacher had me stay after class for a few minutes one afternoon. Last class, we had just completed an assignment (a small assignment) where we wrote a paragraph in response to a prompt. My teacher accused me of copying and rephrasing the prompt response in his answer book. I told him that I didn’t copy anything and that I did the work myself. He let me go off to my next class after a few minutes. I had received a grade on the assignment prior to him talking with me after class, and he never gave me a 0 for lowered my assignment grade. Also, he never told me that he would report me to the school.

Do you think it’s possible that he would’ve secretly reported me to my guidance counselor/ school, or do you think that I would know if he had reported me? (My teacher is no longer working at my school)

I’m just worried that my guidance counselor might mention this in a letter of rec if my teacher had reported me. I’m also worried that colleges would see this if I got reported.

Thanks for all responses

If you were never formally disciplined, then probably not, but you have the right to see an unofficial copy of your transcript. Perhaps you should request one, just to see what is and isn’t on it.

He just suspected and was seeing if you would admit it. You probably were genuinely surprised and he believed you. (I presume you did not copy it?)

If there is nothing listed on my unofficial transcript, does that mean that I wasn’t reported?

An accusation of cheating would not show up on a he transcript. It would show up as part of the school’s disciplinary record Just because Op was not suspended does not mean the the incident was not reported to the GC or AP. The teacher spoke to the student about what transpired and can go on the record with the school as to what happened.

This doesn’t sound serious but you should clarify with your GC, even if it means bringing up an uncomfortable topic. Teacher’s can’t secretly report anything that goes on an official record, your parents would have gotten a letter with the accusation and what transpired. Now if your question is did the teacher talk with the GC or disciplinary office privately and say something like “I’m not going to file an official report but I have some doubts about a student’s integrity”, then that would impact your GC’s recommendation, and you should know that so you can tell your side of the story.

How can I find out then if I was reported on not? I would just like to have the piece of mind of knowing.

How should I go about asking my guidance counselor about this? I will be honest and truthful with him, but I don’t know how to bring it up. My goal is just to make sure that I wasn’t reported anywhere and that he never wrote anything about this in my letter of rec.

If you told the truth and do d not cheat, what are you worried about? The truth is a defense

I don’t want my guidance counselor to also get suspicious when I come in to talk with him. I just want him to check for me and make sure I was never reported. Is it ok for me to just blatantly bring up the topic next time I see him?

How about phrasing it something like this?

Is there anything negative about me in my high school records?

If they want to know why you’re asking, reply “just curious”

I would disagree with the above post. Simply ask your guidance counselor if you can see a copy of your transcript. No reason is needed other than you want to confirm that everything is correct.

But in general I would believe the teacher if he/she said it would not be reported.

Not to be disagreeable, but I stand by my advice in post #10 and disagree with #11 because 1) an accusation of cheating might show up in places other than the transcript and 2) the OP has not indicated that the teacher said it would not be reported.

Ask for a copy of your transcript and disciplinary record. You are entitled to it.

I agree with @yikesyikesyikes

There are conversations that go on all of the time between, teachers administrators and counselors.

I remember being part of a conversation where a teacher came to me about a student for cheating in his AP class.

NO disciplinary formal action was taken against the student but there was a note placed in the student file.

Just because you were not suspended or disciplined by the school does not mean that the incident did not go unreported (meaning that it would have to go on your college application). There is still nothing from stopping anyone from mentioning it in your recommendations.

I think Op’s challenge is there is a big difference in doing something like this freshman year when you are young and dumb. You can show remorse, move forward and an incident like this never happens again. There is a huge difference when you are called out on it at the end of junior year as it does make your academic career look circumspect as this may not be the first time that there was an inkling of cheating, but the first time OP was caught or called on it.