8 West Point cadets expelled, more than 50 held back over cheating scandal

Dozens of West Point cadets will be forced to repeat their freshman year after being accused of cheating on an online calculus exam.

Of the 73 freshmen investigated in the military academy’s biggest cheating scandal in decades, 51 of them were “turned back” for a year and two were “turned back” for six months, West Point announced Friday. All will be under probation until graduation.

Another eight students were expelled, although three accepted invitations into the “academy mentorship program,” which requires cadets to serve for eight to 12 months as an enlisted soldier, after which they can apply for readmission.

“Character development is the most important thing we do at West Point,” Superintendent Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams said in a statement.

“It is critical to building leaders for our Army.” .

“The tenets of honorable living remain immutable, and the outcomes of our leader development system remain the same, to graduate Army officers that live honorably, lead honorably, and demonstrate excellence. West Point must be the gold standard for developing Army officers. We demand nothing less than impeccable character from our graduates.”

More than 50 of the 73 students were athletes across 10 different teams at the academy.

In 1976, 153 West Point cadets were caught cheating on a mechanical engineering exam.

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