[simeonf]

Interestingly this happened to me and to my younger brother.

There was no racial component to it although we do belong to a religious minority, come from low-income backgrounds and were homeschooled. I personally felt some prejudice at various times on account of these characteristics.

In my case I was a 16 year old high school dropout taking a history class at a Junior College. My prof had a lengthy conversation basically trying to get me to admit my parents wrote an essay for me and eventually gave up, although clearly unconvinced.

In my brothers case a few years later (different college, different prof) I believe he was given a zero on a test and had to file a grievance to be able to redo the work or retake the test. This is circa 2000 so my memory is a bit fuzzy.

In both our cases there was no evidence - just the perceived mismatch between our presentation and ability prompted the accusations. (We were bookworms and in a family of bookworms despite being poor and lower class.)

My only comment and the only relevance to the linked story is I remember how OUTRAGED I felt at the accusation. It wasn't even the accusation of cheating - that I would be dishonest. It was the condescension, the implied "obviously you are not good enough to have produced this" attitude that hurt the most. In my case the professor was obviously trying to give me a break and be friendly but I remember how hurt I was and in my brother's case... I don't think he would ever speak to the prof again.

Being judged incapable of producing your own work BURNS.

[tome]

> My prof had a lengthy conversation basically trying to get me to admit my parents wrote an essay for me and eventually gave up, although clearly unconvinced.

Couldn't she have spent the time talking to you about history and confirming your analytical and literacy skills were up to the required standard?

[danieltillett]

>Being judged incapable of producing your own work BURNS.

Or you could take it as that you are so much better than your class mates that your work stands out as being exceptional. This is a huge complement.

I used to be a professor and I can tell you plagiarism is rampant. When a student hands in a work that is far above their peers you are suspicious. I would never accuse a student of cheating without evidence, but I have asked many about their work to ascertain if they had actually produced the work themselves. In every case where I was suspicious (around 20), the person did not have the slightest clue about what they had supposedly written. Professors are cynical for a reason.

[novaleaf]

As you said, It might be racism, however I think people use the "racism" card too quickly to explain what might actually be a dumb/lazy/antisocial teacher.

My related experience anecdote was as a 2nd or 3rd grader. I made some poem as a class project and had the line "in some foggy old latrine" and my teacher accused me of making up the word "latrine" and refused to believe me when I said it was a military toilet. (I wasn't some super literary, I just heard the word used enough on the tv show MASH)

So frustrating and hurtful to be accused like that, but I am pretty sure it wasn't racism. Just a clueless teacher who reacted the wrong way.

[Eridrus]

I had the same experience in high school, I assume it was because I thought English as it was taught was total garbage, so I obviously didn't show any interest in class.

Was really weird being accused of plagiarism for something I knew I wrote. I mostly didn't care enough to contest it though.