NAVAL ACADEMY EXPELS 18 ACCUSED OF CHEATING ON TEST

Eighteen midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., have been expelled or resigned following an investigation into cheating on a physics exam in December 2020, officials said Friday.

More than 650 midshipmen took the final exam that month for General Physics I, which was administered through an online platform. The students were given written and verbal instructions that said they could not use outside websites or sources to complete the test, according to a statement from the academy.

Vice Adm. Sean Buck, the academy’s superintendent, initiated an investigation after learning midshipmen may have used outside sources, including other websites, during the exam, officials said. Academy leaders were also made aware that some midshipmen used an anonymous chat platform to discuss the exam after they finished.

“Character development is an ongoing process and midshipmen must make the choice to live honorably each day and earn the trust that comes with a commission in the Navy or Marine Corps,” Buck said in a statement Friday. “This incident demonstrates that we must place an increased focus on character and integrity within the entire brigade.”

Despite efforts by the physics department to prevent cheating — including requiring midshipmen to submit their calculations from the test on a sheet of paper — 105 midshipmen were identified to have probably accessed unauthorized resources during the test.

Naval officials withheld the names of those involved but said 61 percent of them are varsity athletes and 83 percent are men. Five of the midshipmen were at the top quartile of their class, while 66 were at the bottom. The majority of the students were sophomores.

Eighty-two midshipmen were found to have violated the school’s honor code, and were retained in the brigade with sanctions and entered into a five-month remediation program, according to officials. Four other students were found not in violation and one is awaiting adjudication by the Brigade Honor Board. As the investigation proceeded, some students chose to submit resignations while others were expelled.