http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20080501-1349-bn01rbhack.html By J. Harry Jones UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER May 1, 2008 RANCHO BERNARDO - An assistant principal revealed details of a cheating scandal uncovered at Rancho Bernardo High School, and his reaction to the decline of morality among some students, in an emotional memo to teachers. "Our (worst) technological nightmare has just occurred," Assistant Principal Keith Koelzer wrote. "At this point, we have identified 8 students (with varying degrees of involvement) who hacked into our school network, downloaded several teacher's files on the flashdrives, distributed tests to students days before they were administered and altered grades on student transcripts. The eight students are all Advanced Placement students, they are all smart, but they have no wisdom. "This case is unique in its depth of complexity and depravity." Koelzer sent the memo [1] Saturday to teachers and other staff members by e-mail, the day after the scandal was uncovered. The San Diego Union-Tribune requested the memo, and the Poway Unified School District released it Thursday, with small parts of it redacted. Until now, school officials have released few details about the ongoing investigation. "On Friday, one student went into incredible detail of his movements in this deceit over the past two months," Koelzer said in the memo. "After listening, I turned to his mother and asked, 'What do you think of this kind of morality?' The mother replied, 'I am not a mother anymore.' I asked the same question to the boy's father and he responded, 'This is not the morality of my ancestors.'" Koelzer wrote that the pressure to get into a good college "has overly consumed one of our students. He described to his father and me how his transcripts were altered and personally delivered them to a college. As the student talked, I watched his father's face and I could see his 18-year dream of his child's UC education disappear." The names, ages and grade levels of the students have not been released. "We must honor the due process of these students," Koelzer said. "The stakes cannot be any higher for these students. They are staring at expulsion, questioning by police, questioning by our district technicians, (a) potential lawsuit by the district" and a rescinding of college offers. On Monday, district Superintendent Donald Phillips said six students have been suspended while the investigation continues. Principal Paul Robinson said the police are aware of what has happened but are awaiting the results of the school investigation before proceeding. In part of his memo, Koelzer philosophizes about drunk driving and how some students have lost their "moral compasses." He said he recently attended the funeral of a 20-year-old Rancho Bernardo High graduate who died in a suspected drunk-driving-related accident in Poway three weeks ago. Koelzer wrote that the father of the man killed in the accident asked for everybody in the church under the age of 21 to stand up. Then he asked all of those standing who had not had something to drink in the past two weeks to sit down. Only five did, Koelzer said. "I saw a current student five rows up from me continue to stand up, while his parents sat down next to him." Koelzer wrote that the father of the dead 20-year-old had an opportunity to send a message, "but he blundered as his son lay in a coffin below him. He continued by saying that he has been smoking pot since he was 12 years old and that he will continue to do so. He finished with a muddled message of 'slow down when you've been drinking and driving' and finally that it was 'better to get a DUI.' That's when I left." Koelzer won teacher of the year honors in 2005 from the district and was promoted to assistant principal a short time later. [1] http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/images/080501rbhs.pdf _______________________________________________ Attend Black Hat USA, August 2-7 in Las Vegas, the world's premier technical event for ICT security experts. Featuring 40 hands-on training courses and 80 Briefings presentations with lots of new content and new tools. Network with 4,000 delegates from 50 nations. Visit product displays by 30 top sponsors in a relaxed setting. http://www.blackhat.com
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