The majority of Cadets who are reported to have been apart of the cheating scandal which has rocked West Point are athletes.
According to a report from USA Today, 55 of the 73 cadets implicated in the scandal are athletes. Twenty-four of the 55 are members of the Army Black Knights football team and, as of Wednesday, 17 were still in uniform.
While implication in a cheating scandal would have meant automatic suspension in prior years, West Point Superintendant Lt. General Darryl suspended the school’s policy of preventing cadets who violate the West Point honor code from representing the school in public.
The West Point honor code states: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”
In a memo written on October 23 and obtained by USA Today, Williams explained his reasoning by saying that the former policy “resulted in an inequitable application of consequences and developmental opportunities for select groups of cadets.”
The cheating scandal stems from a calculus test that was administered online in May due to coronavirus protocols.
This is not the first time West Point has been embroiled in a cheating controversy. In 1976, 153 cadets were involved in a scheme to cheat on a mechanical engineering exam.
“In the current scandal, 58 cadets have already admitted that they cheated and will remain on probation throughout their tenure at West Point, the New York Post reports.
West Point spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Ophardt stressed that the football season and upcoming bowl game did not factor into the school’s decision-making process.
“We didn’t cancel the punishment,” Ophardt explained. “We delayed it until final adjudication.”
Army is set to battle West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl on Thursday.