DATE: February 27, 2012
PARTIES: University of Toronto v. Y.L.
Hearing Date(s): February 14, 2012
Panel Members:
Ms. Wendy Matheson, Chair
Dr. Joel Kirsh, Faculty Member
Ms. Susan Mazzatto, Student Member
Appearances:
Mr. Robert Centa, Assistant Discipline Counsel for the University
Ms. Martine Garland, DLS
In Attendance:
Ms. Y.L., the Student
Prof. John Britton, Dean's Designate
Mr. Christopher Lang, Director, Appeals, Discipline and Faculty Grievances
Trial Division – s. B.i.1(a) of Code – forged documents – submitted falsified documents in support of petition for seven courses on different occasions – Agreed Statement of Facts - guilty plea – finding of guilt – Joint Submission on Penalty – Panel would have considered a more severe penalty absent the joint submission – threshold to reject a joint submission is high - Panel accepted Joint Submission on Penalty with regret grade assignment of zero for course; five-year suspension; six-year notation on transcript; report to Provost
Student charged under s. B.i.1(a) of the Code. The charges related to allegations that the Student submitted falsified documents in support of her petitions to defer exams or withdraw without academic penalty for seven different courses on different occasions. The falsified documents included Medical certificates, false statements that her father was critically ill and later, had died, and documents purporting to be a "critical condition notice" and a "death notice" from a hospital and others in China. The Student pleaded guilty to the charges, and the panel found the Student guilty under s. B.i.1(a). The parties submitted a Joint Submission on Penalty. The Panel stated that absent the joint submission, it would have considered a more severe penalty given that the pattern of elaborate falsehood, done deliberately to obtain an academic advantage, was antithetical to the core values expected of students as set out in the Code. However, the Panel recognized that to reject a joint submission, it would have to be of the view that accepting the joint submission would bring the administration of justice into disrepute, a high threshold to meet. The Panel found that this was not such a case and accepted the joint submission with regret. The Panel imposed a grade assignment of zero for the seven courses, a five-year suspension; a six-year notation of the Student's transcript; and a report be issued to the Provost.