Victory is sweet when justice is served right! Recently, South Carolina-based identical twins Kellie and Kayla Bingham got a taste of it when they won a defamation lawsuit filed against the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). The university authority accused the sisters of cheating on their exam in 2016. The twins were awarded $1.5 million in damages.
The Allegation
Then 24-year-old identical twins Kellie and Kayla Bingham were second-year students at MUSC in 2016 when the test occurred. According to Kellie, she and her sister were assigned seats for the exam at the same table about four or five feet apart. She added that they couldn’t see each other throughout the exam. It was mentioned in the lawsuit that a faculty member was remotely monitoring the test and allegedly noticed that the twins had similar signs of progress throughout the exam and also had many similar incorrect answers.
The Claim
In the lawsuit, the twin sisters claimed that the proctor was directed to keep an eye on them constantly and also take notes on their behavior. They were particularly monitored during the test on how they were nodding their heads, pushed back from the computers occasionally, shuffled their scratch papers, or even looked around the classroom. While speaking at the case hearing, Kayla claimed that there was no signaling between them and they were just nodding at questions, looking at their own computer screens.
The Aftermath
Two weeks after the said exam, MUSC faculty members accused Kellie and Kayla of cheating. They also sent a subsequent letter to the President of the College of Medicine’s Honor Council, mentioning that the sisters were cheating, signaling one another, and passing notes between them. The twins were found guilty initially by the institution’s Honor Council, but the decision was reversed later on appeal. But when the sisters thought the whole debacle had gone away, they started to face cold receptions and became the subject of gossip. According to the case lawsuit, the hostility ensued to a point where the twins chose to leave medical school, abandoning their career plans in medicine altogether.
The Case
The twins filed a defamation lawsuit against MUSC in 2017, after withdrawing from the institution in September 2016. In their court documents, the sisters alleged that the findings of the Honor Council were leaked to the institution’s student body, resulting in a hostile environment against them. Based on the lawsuit, a trial was held last month, where a jury sided with the twins and gave the verdict to award each sister $750,000 in damages.
4 Highly Recommended Preventive Health Checkups to do After Age 50
Any subtle health changes in the aging journey can cause serious troubles for anyone if left undiagnosed and untreated. Turning into 50 can be a seamless experience if certain health cautions are practiced regularly. Medical assessments are necessary here to get ahead of the situation, avoiding eventual acute conditions. Here are a few musts to do health checkups for elderly persons securing a fabulous 50 and upcoming years.
Blood Pressure
Blood pressure checking at regular intervals is helpful at any age, but it is particularly necessary for those, who are aged over 50 years. This is also a general awareness concern, as 1 in 5 affected is unaware or ignorant about their problem, due to irregular or zero checkups. High blood pressure or hypertension causes a drastically higher risk of heart disease, kidney disease, heart and brain strokes, and chronic heart failure. On the other hand, low blood pressure or hypotension causes regular dizziness, nausea, and dehydration. Managing blood pressure is not a very difficult task, so just regular checking is truly beneficial.
Cholesterol Profile
This is another important checkup to prevent heart-related problems in elderly persons. Two types of cholesterols are checked here – HDL and LDL. High LDL levels are called ‘bad cholesterols,’ which hamper the blood flow through the arteries, eventually leading to chest pain, stroke, or heart attack. This type of cholesterol generally results from lack of exercise, unhealthy diet, weight gain, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. But anyone can be at risk regardless of lifestyle practices, as genetics also can play a role here. So, timely diagnosis to address the problem is highly necessary.
Arthritis Assessment
Arthritis is a very common problem among seniors, irrespective of place. Most average knee replacement surgeries are performed within 45-65 of age. So, experiencing subtle aches and pains on the joints is not at all an uncommon symptom, after reaching 50. The problem can be addressed properly with supplementation and individualized arthritis care solutions, designed on one’s level of activity and health condition. If given proper care from the beginning, painful acute stage or surgical necessities can be prevented easily.
Vision Care
Another very common health concern of the elderly stage is vision impairment. At this stage of life, anyone can suffer from it, though poor diet, fatigue, certain lifestyle habits, and complex health issues like diabetes propel the condition. Routine eye care is important here to diagnose any problem beforehand and prevent further ill impact on the vision. Diet and lifestyle change, minor medication, and eye-care support like lenses or spectacles can do the trick easily. Getting ahead of any vision change is also necessary to avert successive serious eye problems, leading to painful surgery.