The case involving twin sisters Kellie and Kayla Bingham and the Medical University of South Carolina, alleging that the university falsely accused them of cheating on an exam in 2016, recently settled for $1.5 million.
Cal State Fullerton psychology professor Nancy Segal testified at the case discussing the twins’ matched abilities and skills.
According to Segal, this is not the first time identical twins have been wrongly accused in academia. She believes that because identical twins perform so much alike, their actions may be mistaken for misconduct.
In the South Carolina case, Segal believed the leaks tarnished the twins’ reputation and unfairly compromised their confidentiality, causing both to leave medical school. The twins recently graduated from law school.
Segal is available to share more details about the trial and her study on twins’ behavior so that others do not experience the same trauma. She can be reached at nsegal@fullerton.edu.