Collaboration or Shared Answers?

Ethical Educator

Scenario:

A high school junior lends his completed homework to a friend for the purpose of illustrating for him the general approach to the assignment. The friend winds up copying a portion of the work and submitting it. After the teacher discovers this, the accused plagiarizer confirms the original arrangement. The teacher adds a critical note to the first boy’s student file. His parents complain first to the teacher and then to administrators that the note may discourage other teachers from writing letters of recommendation for college applications.

Did the teacher misstep?