Was called dishonest by a student

I’m teaching a math class and I get two late adds. Both business majors, both seniors. They need this class to graduate, they tell me. I let them know that this class isn’t really designed for them, will be harder than they need and they might want to consider another class. They opt for mine because it fits their schedules better (read: not early in the morning.) Fine, want to stay? I don’t have the means by which to remove them, so they stay.

It’s really clear early that they are both out of their depths. I try to convince them, but they want to stay. They miss a lot of class, they are not as focused as they should be. They never do homework. They both get failing grade reports at Week 6 and Week 12.

So they come to my office on Friday to talk. One student says he feels like I have been dishonest with them. When I ask how, he tells me, “When we signed up for your class, you told us you were going to be committed to helping us pass and I don’t feel like you’ve done that.”

He also pointed out a time he turned in a quiz and I said he had something correct and later when I graded it, it turned out it was wrong. I saw him on campus and apologized for my error, but he claims that I did that intentionally and that undercut his confidence to the point that it made being successful in the course impossible.

I know it’s all bullshit and it’s someone who is hurt and embarrassed and frustrated lashing out at me… but I told him that “dishonest” has an element of intent to it that simply isn’t there. He didn’t row back; if anything, he doubled down.

I’ve been teaching long enough to have been called any number of names and had student conflicts in the past, but for some reason, this has really hurt me and bothered me. It is such a malicious — and unfounded — accusation. I taught every class, I was always in office hours, I answered every one of their questions… I was not dishonest about anything.

I don’t think I have a question or anything, I just wanted to get this off my chest. I wish there was some recourse against students who make accusations like this, but no clue what that might be.