In the first honor trial open to the public since September 1998, second-year Engineering student Patricia Gonzales was asked to leave the University community Saturday after a student jury found her guilty of cheating on an organic chemistry exam.
Third-year College student Matthew Sachs, a teaching assistant in Gonzales' CHEM 241 class, initiated the honor charges. Sachs charged that Gonzales erased and changed her original answers on two exam problems before submitting them to Sachs to be re-graded December 16. He initiated charges the next day, claiming the changed answers exactly matched exam answers posted on the Web.
Third-year College student Winston Gwathmey, who was Gonzales's head honor counsel and also one of the two original investigators of the case, said he and Gonzales agreed to build her case around trying to prove the act did not occur rather than trying to argue intent or seriousness.
For a student to be found guilty, a jury must find that an accused student committed the act, intended to commit the act and that the act is serious enough to compromise the community of trust.
After hearing testimony from Gonzales, Sachs, a classmate of Gonzales, Chemistry Prof. Richard Sundburg, who taught the CHEM 241 class, and Carolyn Vallas, director of the Engineering School Office of Minority Affairs, the jury deliberated for an hour and a half before rendering a guilty verdict.
"Even though it was an emotionally draining process, if the same kind of situation came up again, I'd do it all over again. That's how strongly I believe in the honor system," Sachs said.
The case decision was filed with the Registrar's Office Monday morning, and Gonzales is no longer considered a University student. Gonzales, who lives on Grounds, will be required to leave University housing by tomorrow.
"I'm innocent," Gonzales said. "I would not go against the honor system. There were many mistakes made by the TA, whose statements were used to convict me, that were not pointed out."
Gwathmey said Gonzales will attempt to file an appeal based on reasonable grounds, one of the criteria for appeal. He said he could not give the specifics but said he feels confident an appeal will be granted.
If a new trial is granted, Gonzales will be considered a University student for the duration of the trial. If she is found not guilty, she will join the University community permanently.
Most honor trials are closed to the public. Gonzales would not comment on why she chose to have an open trial.
Scott Sottile, Honor Committee vice chairman for services and chairman of Gonzales' trial, said even though an open trial is unusual, "the case was presented very fairly and it was a very smoothly run honor trial. [An open trial] takes a little mystery out of the honor system"
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