School punishment-high school

[tester]

Hi: My son is a 15 year old High School student in the International > Baccleaurate Program and also in the National Honor Society. He is an excellent student. He is attending an International School Overseas and not in the U.S.

He is accused by the High School principal of sharing information on a paper to another student which has the potential for grave consequences on his school records.

The friend of my son was sick and out of school for one week and asked my son for guidance on a school science project. My son who had already turned his paper in to his teacher via website www.turnmein.com, emailed his paper to his friend solely to use as a guide since it was Sunday and the teacher could not be reached. My son\'s intent was to provide > guidance not to share information for the purpose of having his friend cheat.

The school's policy is that no student should share information because it gives an unfair advantage to other students. The penalty for First Offense is 1. to give the student a fail on the assignment and 2. to put a letter in the file of the student. Since my son has never had any problems in his entire school life, we are > trying to plead with the principal that my son was not at fault here but we're not sure how we can get them to see that the intent was not to share info to facilitate cheating.

We are afraid that any penalty will mess up my son's entire school record and his chance of getting in to a good college not to mention the distress it is causing him right now. Please advise if you see that we have any recourse in this matter.

Thanks for your response.

You could certainly dispute any reprimand and if need be even take the matter to court.

You would have to argue that there was no intent at all to violate any rule and in fact the act as it occurred was not a violation.