As a student, the last thing you want to hear is that a professor is accusing you of cheating on an online test or assignment. False accusations of academic dishonesty can have consequences that follow you for the rest of your academic career.

Luckily, all hope is not lost. With the advice of an experienced student defense attorney, you can provide evidence to show that you didn’t do what you’re accused of doing.

The disciplinary process is different at every university, and it’s usually a complicated process. But at DC Student Defense, we’ve helped hundreds of students get through these accusations and come out the other side with their academic future protected.

Here’s our breakdown of what to do if you’re falsely accused of online cheating, and how you can prove your innocence.

The most important first step is to take a deep breath and try to stay calm.

Your first instinct may be to reply to your professor with an indignant email, or to go on social media to tell everyone what is happening. But in the end, those actions will hurt your case when it comes to your disciplinary charges with the university.

You do not want to rush into this process or create any damage that can’t be undone.

Instead, follow these three steps to prepare your defense:

Once you’ve consulted with an attorney, you can begin gathering evidence to support your case.

If you’re being charged with formal disciplinary charges, your university will probably ask for a written statement as well as any evidence supporting those statements from both you and the professor who’s accusing you of cheating. Then, there will likely be a hearing in which you both present your cases, and finally the disciplinary board will come to a decision.

Depending on the specifics of your case and the way that your school responds to cheating accusations, you and your attorney may craft a specific plan for how to prepare your defense.

In general, here are some of the documents you’ll want to gather in preparation for your hearing:

Even if it’s not possible to prove conclusively whether you did or didn’t cheat, coming in with a well-prepared defense demonstrating your commitment to academic honesty will help you reduce the risk of serious, long-lasting consequences.