ATLANTA — They were fired for cheating on a state trooper exam and now one of them is alleging they were just doing what they were told.
Christopher Cordell and his attorney, McCracken Poston, want Gov. Brian Kemp to give the 30 fired troopers another chance. Poston said the problem was the cadets didn't feel like they could challenge their instructors without facing repercussions.
"Basically, 27 young troopers who had not cheated had just got called cheaters and lost their jobs," the attorney said.
In January, 30 members of the 106th Trooper Graduating Class were fired for cheating on exams. Cordell's attorney said the radar gun exam was so hard - the two class leaders failed.
Poston alleged failure wasn't an option for the other troopers in the class.
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"So, when their instructor said here's how you take it, utilize all your resources, talk to people who've taken it before, they thought that was normal instruction," he said.
Poston said the two cadets who failed first should've been kicked out of the program. Instead, he claims they were allowed to retake the test. He said another trooper is accused of having his girlfriend take the test for him online, but Poston said the other fired troopers were merely following instructions.
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"They were taking the exam together," he said. "The instructor walks right through them."
Now, he wants the governor to allow that group to retake the test - in the classroom setting. He believes the governor didn't know the entire story before everyone was fired.
"My client has a 9-year-old son," Poston said. "It's been breaking his heart to hear that his dad has been labeled a cheater which is just not right."
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