So, my daughter’s in a clinical psychology PhD program, and now they’re threatening to expel her for something she didn’t even do. They claimed she committed a professional breach over an assignment she submitted, but she’s sure she didn’t do anything wrong. It started when they accused her of plagiarism, but she appealed and it got dropped. Still, they’re saying she’s out of the program. What should we do next? Anyone have advice on how to handle this?
Ugh, that sounds so rough. Did she get a formal notice, like an email or official letter saying she’s being dismissed? If so, that might help with the next steps.
Tru said:
Ugh, that sounds so rough. Did she get a formal notice, like an email or official letter saying she’s being dismissed? If so, that might help with the next steps.
Yeah, she got an email late last night saying it’s official. We’re just unsure about what to do now.
@Noel
I’d say getting a lawyer involved is probably the next step. That way, they can check if her rights were violated or if she has a case to challenge the dismissal.
That’s terrible! If it’s really a case of plagiarism, but it was accidental, I think she should be able to fight it. The university might have a process to review this.
Jessie said:
That’s terrible! If it’s really a case of plagiarism, but it was accidental, I think she should be able to fight it. The university might have a process to review this.
That’s what we’re hoping for. She said it wasn’t intentional, just a mistake with citing, but she’s so frustrated that they won’t even listen to her.
I know it’s a tough situation, but maybe she should see if she can meet with anyone at the school to explain what happened. A lot of schools have review processes for these types of cases.
Uma said:
I know it’s a tough situation, but maybe she should see if she can meet with anyone at the school to explain what happened. A lot of schools have review processes for these types of cases.
I don’t think they’ve even given her a chance to explain yet. They just sent the email and said it’s final. No hearing or anything.
@Noel
That doesn’t seem right. She should definitely push for a hearing. Most schools won’t just expel someone without giving them a chance to defend themselves.
If you’re concerned about her treatment, especially being from Jamaica, it might be worth talking to a lawyer about potential discrimination. That could play a role here.
Vesper said:
If you’re concerned about her treatment, especially being from Jamaica, it might be worth talking to a lawyer about potential discrimination. That could play a role here.
Yeah, we’ve been wondering about that. She’s definitely feeling singled out, and we want to make sure this isn’t a racial issue. We’ll bring it up when we find a lawyer.
It might also help if she can gather any evidence that shows she didn’t plagiarize, like drafts or communications. Having proof could strengthen her case.
Vega said:
It might also help if she can gather any evidence that shows she didn’t plagiarize, like drafts or communications. Having proof could strengthen her case.
Good idea! She has some notes and drafts, so that might help. I’ll make sure she collects everything just in case.
@Noel
That’ll definitely be useful. The more documentation she has, the better her chances of challenging the dismissal.