The parents of a Massachusetts high school student are taking legal action against Hingham High School, alleging that their son faced unfair punishment for using artificial intelligence (AI) in a research paper. Jennifer and Dale Harris filed a complaint last month in Massachusetts court, claiming that the school violated their son’s civil rights and due process, leading to severe academic consequences related to his use of AI on a class project.
The complaint asserts that the school’s Student Handbook for the 2023-2024 academic year did not include any policies or guidelines concerning the use of AI technology. According to the Harris family’s allegations, the handbook failed to clarify when AI could be used appropriately or whether its usage constituted an academic integrity violation.
“At the time,” the complaint states, “the Handbook did not consider artificial intelligence or inform the administration, faculty, or students of the circumstances in which it may be permissibly used or whether its use was a sanctionable academic integrity infraction.” The complaint further points out that the project, which was part of the National History Day competition, did not provide explicit instructions barring the use of AI.
The student, identified in court documents as “RNH,” and his parents argue that employing AI to draft, edit, and research content for an Advanced Placement U.S. History project should not be considered dishonest, unauthorized technology use, or plagiarism. “Using AI to draft, edit, and research content,” they contend, “does not constitute an ‘act of dishonesty’ or ‘unauthorized use’ under the school’s policies.”
According to the complaint, RNH and his classmate utilized AI to help prepare the initial outline and research for their project, which focused on Lew Alcindor, better known as NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. As a result of the incident, the student faced multiple academic and disciplinary sanctions, including being barred from joining the National Honor Society (NHS).
The complaint notes that “at least seven other students” who had been inducted into the NHS had previous academic integrity infractions, including one who reportedly used AI for a paper. This disparity raises questions about the fairness of the disciplinary measures taken against RNH.
On May 24, the Harrises sent a letter to Margaret Adams, who was the superintendent of Hingham Public Schools at the time, requesting clarification regarding AI usage in the class assignment. They claim they did not receive a response from the district and noted that their son received a zero on the assignment, along with a Saturday detention.
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In an interview with ABC affiliate WCVB, the Harrises expressed their frustration over the accusations leveled against their son. “He’s been accused of cheating, and it wasn’t cheating; there was no rule in the handbook against AI,” Jennifer stated. She emphasized that the handbook did not address AI usage prior to the incident and that relevant language was only added afterward.
Peter Farrell, the attorney representing the Harris family, stated, “The high school’s handbook is intended to provide clear expectations for student behavior and discipline, fostering a supportive learning environment.” He argued that the disciplinary actions taken against RNH were arbitrary and lacked clear guidelines regarding AI usage.
“Since the incident that gave rise to the complaint, the District has added language referencing artificial intelligence,” Farrell noted, highlighting the implications for civil rights and fairness. He pointed out that other students with similar infractions were not barred from NHS induction, raising concerns about the equitable application of disciplinary measures.
The family is seeking to have their son’s social studies letter grade restored to a “B” and to expunge any record of discipline related to the incident. They are also asking the school to allow RNH to be inducted into the National Honor Society retroactively and without delay.
Jennifer Harris emphasized the stakes involved in her son’s academic record, stating, “He got a C+ by one point, so our argument was, ‘Could you fail him with a 59 instead of a 53 so he could have a B-? He’s applying to top-tier schools like Stanford and MIT, and they see a C and it’s going in the trash.’”
Dale Harris also expressed concern about the lasting impact of the school’s actions, noting that some punishments, such as the Saturday detention, cannot be reversed. “You already made him redo the paper, and you can’t undo the Saturday detention, but there are some things you can fix right now and do the right thing,” he stated.
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As of October 16, a spokesperson for Hingham Public Schools declined to comment on the specifics of the case, citing the need to respect student privacy and ongoing litigation. The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications not only for the Harris family but also for the evolving conversation surrounding the use of AI in education.
