Valedictorian caught cheating

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so my graduating class just found out who will be representing our class as valedictorian and it's a student that was caught cheating on an exam. she was caught on camera and later admitted to the cheating. I feel someone like this should not represent our school or class as a valedictorian. It sets a bad example that cheating will be tolerated. there are many students that sacrifice so much for nursing and this bothers me that someone like this would be honored. she was caught once cheating but there could be other times she cheated and didnt get caught. I addressed this issue with administration. Please give me your opinion about this. Am I over thinking this?

Specializes in Neuro/ ENT.
I'd refuse to go to my graduation. I think your whole class should just refuse to show up, in protest. You still get your degree whether you "walk" and get pinned, or not.

Let her give her meaningless little speech to an empty auditorium.

Red, we don't usually agree lol but I think this is an EXCELLENT idea! Heck, why not arrange your OWN ceremony somewhere else? Your own class celebration with your own chosen "valedictorian".

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

I think that's a great suggestion for tomorrow's meeting

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Sigh. Proof positive that we never really get completely away from junior high....:no:

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was this student's parents donating alot of money to the school or something? :unsure:

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Specializes in Occ. Hlth, Education, ICU, Med-Surg.
I'd refuse to go to my graduation. I think your whole class should just refuse to show up, in protest. You still get your degree whether you "walk" and get pinned, or not.

Let her give her meaningless little speech to an empty auditorium.

This...or go to graduation and everyone turns their back on her when she speaks....*evil laugh*

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Specializes in Hospice.

Ahhh ... the joys of mobbing.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.
This...or go to graduation and everyone turns their back on her when she speaks....*evil laugh*

I was thinking the same without the evil laugh. :) OP: I personally think you should do all of the above:

1.) Protest the actual graduation by turning your backs if the administration chooses not to remove her as Valedictorian... Be prepared to have the Dean yell at you guys on stage and apologize to the crowd but DO NOT BUDGE and tell the others not to BUDGE! The Dean will not forcibly remove the rest of you even if she/he threatens to do so. I would agree to protest and not show up, but more then likely most in your cohort will want to attend the actual graduation. 2.) Have a separate graduation and party to celebrate your accomplishments and to honor the one who should have been Valedictorian for hard work and a good GPA. Plus, if you have the contacts notify the local media of your protest and inform them of your reasons. That should make the point to the administrators that GPA alone should not dictate who represents a graduating class. Character matters!

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
Anxiety can cause anything they should gave her a chance,second time be with punishment .

No, anxiety can not cause "anything." It causes a feeling of mental unease, it causes elevated VS, maybe a little tremor, and it can cause chest pain in severe panic situations.

What anxiety does not cause is an involuntary writing and retrieval of crib notes, the involuntary eye movement from crib notes to test paper, and an involuntary act of entering the noted information on the paper.

She cheated for crying out loud!!!!!! Any teacher I've ever had dating back to elementary school has given a zero to students caught cheating on the test in question. I have a very hard time believing that even with a zero factored in, her honestly attained grades (if there are any) are higher than everyone else. One semester I submitted a paper late; I'd written the wrong due date in my planner. I got a zero on it; my grade in that class became a C+ and dropped my GPA from 3.96 to 3.84.

And then they rewarded her behavior by giving her an extra week to study for the test???? Are we in the Twilight Zone...or getting punk'd??? I honestly don't know what else to say about that.

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If you cannot get most of the class to boycott the graduation, those that do agree to boycott can attend anyway, but instead of turning your back on her speech, get up and leave and come back in when she's done.

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Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.

Well here it goes....Flame away folks.

My disclaimer is I graduated with a 3.94 GPA and was valedictorian of my class.

I have read through all of the posts and the first thing that strikes me is her GPA...a 3.92. Someone does not end up with that high of a GPA by cheating you...just... don't. To get that high of a GPA she had to be running straight A's in almost all her courses, and maybe one B+. It is impossible to cheat in every class to get that kind of GPA.....

If I was a prof and suspected someone with that high of a GPA was cheating, my first question would be why? If someone can get A's in all their classes and has that kind of a GPA...something must be going on...or there must be a story involved. [i had one B+, and the profs pulled me aside and asked what was wrong...the answer my father passed.] The profs did the caring and right thing by going and asking her what the crud was going on. They gave her the benefit of the doubt.

That said, no matter the GPA of the student the profs would take that student aside and talk to them...to find out what is happening. She deserves that just as much as a C student does.

What was the story when they went and talked to her? What happened? What was the agreement made with the profs? This is not as cut and dry as it seems. There was something in her that they seen...and said, yes she would still make a good nurse.

I guarantee you she did not take the same test the second time around, she probably had some monstrous ugly test she needed to do to prove her worth.

As to boycotting the ceremony....please do not do this, OP. You worked hard to get your degree. Go enjoy the day!!! Why miss your ONE graduation.

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My thought was everyone can attend graduation, then start waving cheat sheet "fans" or get up and turn around when she starts to talk, ignoring her speech. You still get to participate in graduation, she gets the point that none of you agreed with her as the choice to speak.

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What does it say about the school when they have a person caught cheating representing the student body at graduation? The cheating incident should have disqualified her when she was caught, even if she was given another chance. Now I would vote her honorary class president because a policitician who is a cheat is the norm in the US nowdays. She will probably be DON somewhere in the near future.

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