Kansas school board reaffirms decision in plagiarism case

KANSAS CITY, KANSAS - A Kansas school board publicly reaffirmed Tuesday its decision requiring a science teacher to change the grades of students she had failed for plagiarizing a biology project.<br> <br> The seven board members also agreed to pay fines for violating the state&#39;s open meetings law when it initially made the decision behind closed doors. In return, Wyandotte County District Attorney Nick Tomasic will drop his civil action against the board.<br> <br> The rural district about 20 miles west of Kansas City, Mo., has been in turmoil since late January, when it was revealed that the board, in a closed-door meeting on Dec. 11, reversed Piper High School teacher Christine Pelton&#39;s decision to give 28 students zeros on the biology project.<br> <br> Pelton had suspected plagiarism after discovering that many papers contained identical material. She resigned rather than change the students&#39; grades.<br> <br> On Tuesday, in front of more than 100 people including Pelton, the board voted 6-0, with one abstention, not to change the decision.<br> <br> Board member James Swanson said that when the board voted on the issue in December, he was concerned that the controversy occurred so close to the end of the semester.<br> <br> &#34;I in no means ever questioned the teacher&#39;s grading ... My discussion was more so how to salvage the class,&#34; Swanson said.<br> <br> Leigh Vader said she abstained because she wanted to stand behind the school district&#39;s teachers. She stressed that she didn&#39;t think the students who were accused of plagiarism were bad children.<br> <br> To settle the civil action filed by Tomasic, each board member will pay a $250 fine, and the entire board will pay $1,238 in court costs. The board said its meeting was a &#34;technical and unintentional violation of the Kansas Open Meetings Act.&#34;<br> <br> Some parents in the district have filed a petition to recall board president Chris McCord and members Swanson and Greg Netzer. State law allows parents to seek the recall of only three board members.<br> <br> The board decided to give the students partial credit on the project after hearing from parents, but McCord has said the complaints had no effect on the decision.<br> <br> Principal Mike Adams, who supported Pelton&#39;s decision to fail the students, has announced plans to leave at the end of the academic year. He has refused to say if the plagiarism scandal led to his decision.