Student labeled sex offender wins case

UPI ^ | Jan 29, 2006 | Staff

[Anti-Bubba182]

OTTAWA, ON, Canada (UPI) -- The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that a university must pay damages to a young woman labeled a sex offender for a paper she wrote for class.

Wanda Young says mistaken action by a professor at Memorial University in Newfoundland ruined her life. The high court agreed and restored a lower court finding that she is entitled to damages, reversing an appellate decision.

Young is to receive $800,000 Canadian (almost $700,000 U.S.), the Toronto Globe and Mail reported.

Young submitted a term paper in 1994 that included, as an appendix, a first-person account she had taken from a text book of a young woman who had been abused as a child and had gone on to abuse other children. Young`s teacher interpreted the appendix as a confession and her name was eventually placed on the registry of sex offenders.

She was subsequently rejected by the university`s School of Social Work and said she has had problems finding jobs since because of the label.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Wow! Helluva label to have to bear when it isn't true. The teacher who wrongly turned her in without checking the source of the appendix should be fired, but I suppose it is as hard to get rid of bad teachers in Canadian universities as it is in the United States.

[ozoneliar]

I suppose it is as hard to get rid of bad teachers in Canadian universities as it is in the United States.

Probably even harder.

[ferri]

ping

[wideminded]

Is she guilty of plagiarism?

[Howlin]

Young`s teacher interpreted the appendix as a confession and her name was eventually placed on the registry of sex offenders.

Eventually?

What happened to the part where Young explained to the teacher that it was somebody else's confession and the teacher understood?

[Anti-Bubba182]

It was an appendix to her paper, not in the body.

[Howlin]

a first-person account she had taken from a text book

Wasn't she allowed to present the textbook to show that she was telling the truth?

This is truly amazing; and she went through this for ELEVEN years?

[ferri]

the article i read also said that the RCMP put her on a sex offender list. you would think THEY would have checked it out a little more. lol

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2003/10/03/young031003.html

check out the smug look on the profs face. gag.

[kenth]

http://injusticebusters.com/04/Young_Wanda.shtml

Quick google search brought this interesting page up. By its account, it appears that she was added to the system through back channel gossip. It was evidently two years before anyone in authority contacted her.

The info on that site says that she had the source credited in her bibliography, but didn't add the footnote to that particular instance.

The professor evidently decided that it was Young's own history and she wasn't about to be swayed.

[okie01]

Young is to receive $800,000 Canadian (almost $700,000 U.S.), the Toronto Globe and Mail reported.

With all due respect, that's NOT enough.

[wideminded]

It was an appendix to her paper, not in the body

IMHO she should still have credited the source. Perhaps the professor was punishing her for plagiarism in a sadistic way.

[Howlin]

Dear lord, what a horrible story; and those people CARE for children?

William, did you read the link?

[Boot Hill]

ferri:   "check out the smug look on the profs face. gag."

Good grief, now that deserves to be posted.

[Howlin]

Is she guilty of plagiarism?

No, she is not!!!

[Howlin]

IMHO she should still have credited the source.

SHE DID.

Perhaps the professor was punishing her for plagiarism in a sadistic way.

Are you talking from experience?

[WestVirginiaRebel]

"Why, yes, ruining students' lives is a pleasure!"