It’s the news of two identical sisters who got accused of cheating in their year-end medical school exams. Both were quite aspiring and good at studies. But this allegation shattered their dream, and it has been making headlines for quite some time.
But, the weirdest part was when the real thing came out about the sisters not cheating in the exam, they were awarded an extravagant amount. Well, that was the pay for causing damage and trouble.
The big question is whether the sisters were able to fulfill their dream of becoming doctors. Money doesn’t buy you everything. So, that’s the real deal that people are concerned about. This is more because a false accusation or blame can’t simply ruin someone’s ambition or career.
However, the case was serious enough to do so. It’s been years, and still many of you are still not aware of the full story. If you are looking for what happened with the sisters and what was the aftermath of the case, here is what we know.
Identical Twins Accused Of Academic Dishonesty: The Case Revealed
The identical twins who got accused of cheating in the exam were named- Kayla Bingham and Kellie Bingham. They were then 24 years old and in the second year of their studies. This defamation case happened back in 2016. They were studying at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Why did Kayla and Kellie get defamed like that? Just because they were sisters? Well, their exam results were almost similar, and the answers were so. How could this be the one reason behind causing this drama?
It’s very common to write similar answers if following the same books and notes or even having the same tutor. We are not aware of what Kayla and Kellie had in common, but they didn’t cheat in their medical exam. That was the truth!
The higher authorities of the medical school blamed the sisters by saying that they “were signaling one another and passing notes.” That was when the council decided and declared them as cheaters. To be more precise about the score, the similar part was 296 out of 307.
When they were accused of cheating in the exam, Kellie told that they didn’t seat adjacent to each other. However, the students had their seats assigned by the authority. Kellie and Kayla were four to five seats apart from each other. Do you think, with that distance, cheating is possible?
On the other hand, Kayla told that they exhibited “normal test-taking behavior” during the eight-hour exam. So, it was academic from both of their sides. Kayla and Kellie appealed the decision of the council and filed a lawsuit against the Medical University of South Carolina.
When the truth came out, the jury awarded them with an amount of $1.5 million, as mentioned earlier. When asked the professors, they mentioned that identical twins used to score almost similar marks, always. In case you dont know, this behavior out of the same performance is very common and normal, as per the literature.
If the identical twins don’t perform when it comes to intelligence, then that becomes something to be concerned about. This is as per the psychological research. These sisters were completely innocent. So, in this case, Kayla and Kellie Bingham won the defamation case.
Irrespective of the money they earned for damages, both the sisters are doing good in life. But back in 2016, when the case took place, these sisters had to deal with many ugly things. The students used to gossip and stare at them.
Also, they were unable to go to restaurants. For this accusation, Kayla and Kellie used to get a cold reception. If they ever wanted to eat outside, they had to order it. Things were tough for both! Now that Kayla and Kellie have become free of the false charge, we are happy too.
