An Anne Arundel County family is fighting against time to clear their daughter’s academic record after she was accused of using artificial intelligence to complete a school assignment. The case has now revealed potential legal and privacy issues in how the school district handled the situation.
Tara Davis’s daughter, a junior at Broadneck High School, was accused of using AI for an English assignment during the previous school year. Despite the school lacking a specific AI usage policy, administrators found her in violation of the district’s Academic Integrity policy for plagiarism. This violation now appears on her permanent record, even though she maintains her innocence.
“I just want that removed because we’re heading into a season of college applications,” Davis explained. The family has already filed five appeals with the district, with four unsuccessful attempts. Their final appeal now lies with Anne Arundel County School Board President Robert Silkworth.
Privacy Concerns Emerge
An investigation by Project Baltimore has uncovered potential privacy violations in the school’s handling of the case. The school used GPTZero, an AI detection website, to analyze the student’s work. The software indicated a 90% probability that the paper was AI-generated.
However, GPTZero’s Terms of Service require users to either own the content they’re uploading or have explicit permission to do so. The investigation revealed that neither condition was met – the school neither owned the work nor obtained permission from the student to upload it.
More significantly, the school’s actions may have violated FERPA (Federal Education Rights Privacy Act), which prohibits schools from disclosing student education records to third parties without prior written consent. The U.S. Department of Education has indicated that an “analysis of the case” would be necessary to determine if a violation occurred.
School District’s Response
When approached for comment, Anne Arundel County Public Schools declined to address these concerns directly. In an email response, they stated that neither Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell nor President Silkworth could comment on the matter due to the ongoing appeal process.
The district also avoided addressing questions about potential federal privacy law violations and their compliance with GPTZero’s Terms of Service, noting that these matters are part of the legal proceedings before the Board.
“I know this is happening to other kids,” Davis commented. “I think that the schools just need to take a step back, and they need to really think about what they’re doing. It’s frustrating. It’s really frustrating.”
The case highlights the growing challenges schools face in adapting to AI technology while maintaining proper educational and privacy standards. As more institutions implement AI detection tools, questions about student privacy rights and proper procedures continue to emerge.
Credit: Fox 45