They are twins and they are accused of cheating in college, but they win the trial and collect over a million dollars.

Kyla Y Kelly Bingham They are usually in sync. After all, they are identical twinAnd they thought this explained why they had similar habits, both played in midfield and made the same decision to study life to become doctors. Medical University of South Carolina.

Their similarities never got them into trouble until they were called to the university administrator’s office in May 2016, a week after their final exams. Kayla and Kelly submitted test papers that supervisors considered unusual similarities. Out of 307 questions, 296 questions were answered the same way. Out of them, 54 have written identical wrong answers.

In the words of the executive, “Not good to see.”

“He told us they blamed us Academic dishonestysaid Kayla, 31 The Washington Post. “We were on the ground.”

Sisters Bingham Investigation conducted by A College Honor Board, judged that they had cooperated in their examinations. They appealed and overturned the decision. They then took the university to court.

Your argument?: It is University Medical Center (MUSC) should know that identical twins often perform similarly on tests. A psychology professor testified that they could explain Kayla and Kelly’s similar scores. Genetic profiles. In November, a jury found in favor of the twins, awarding them a total of $1.5 million in damages.

Kayla said the university Slandered She and her sister, and the allegations shattered their dream of becoming doctors.

“I’m broken,” he said. “It was the worst moment of my life.”

The MUSC And lawyers for the university declined to comment PostCiting post-trial motions challenging the still-undecided verdict.

Nancy SegalThe professor who testified in the Binghams’ case said many people don’t realize how identical twins can behave.

“We’ve all been raised to believe, rightly so, in individual differences in behavior and appearance,” Segal said in an interview. “When people meet two people who look and act alike, it intrigues them. It goes against the way they think the world works.”

Segal, teaches in California State University Inside Fullerton and directs Dual Study Centre Research from the University shows that identical twins are more similar in IQ scores and specific mental strengths and weaknesses than fraternal twins or unrelated individuals.

In his court testimony, Segal referenced a 1990 study he co-authored with researchers. University of Minnesota Over 100 pairs of identical and fraternal twins underwent 50 hours of clinical and psychological assessment. The study found that identical twins, even those raised separately, exhibited strong correlation across multiple tests. Verbal and non-verbal intelligence. Identical twins like Kayla and Kelly were raised together, exhibiting a strong bond.

“Identical twins tend to show similar patterns, similar test-taking behaviors, similar incorrect answers, because they process information in the same way,” Segal said. Post.

Tony Vernon, A psychologist who teaches and studies behavior genetics Mount Royal University in Canada, He acknowledged that the Binghams’ results were not unusual for identical twins. He saw similar trends when three sets of identical twins took his statistics classes.

“I would have been surprised if one of them failed the exam and the other scored 90. [por ciento]Vernon said.

According to court documents, after a MUSC audit of the first part of the exam noted identical test scores from the twins, a proctor noticed the two sitting next to each other “nodding abnormally” and writing. On the edges of their scratch paper are notes that look like attempts to communicate with each other. The university sent the test scores to data forensics firm Gavion, which reported that the odds of two identical tests completing independently were “less than if a person won four consecutive lotteries.” Power Ball”.

Kayla said she believes a supervisor who observed the twins’ behavior “created confirmation bias” after seeing their similar test scores, her and Kelly’s grade point averages in college and high school, and their SAT scores (Test Admission of universities USA) and the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) were all very similar. In testimony, Segal said Gavion’s analysis should take into account that Kayla and Kelly are identical twins.

In November, a jury ruled in favor of the Bingham sisters in the defamation lawsuits, awarding them $750,000 each in damages. Earlier this month, MUSC filed post-trial motions to challenge both the verdict and the amount of damages established by the jury.

Kayla and Kelly said they left MUSC in 2016 after receiving hostility from other students at the recommendation of a dean following an investigation into their choices. They went to Florida together and back South Carolina After choosing to study law, both now work as government affairs consultants in the same law firm Columbia, South Carolina.

They also came to those conclusions individually, Kayla insists. She was a bit surprised when she thought Kelly would have a hard time coming off the medication.

“I don’t speak for her,” Kayla said. “But that being said, I know her better than anyone in the world.”

(c) 2022, The Washington Post

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