New London — The Coast Guard Academy is investigating a group of third-class cadets for allegedly cheating on online quizzes, which would be a violation of the academy's Honor Concept.

Academy spokesman David Santos said he couldn't provide an exact number of cadets involved because "that kind of detail could jeopardize the investigation."

The investigation into the alleged cheating has been taking several weeks, according to Santos. Each cadet will be investigated individually.

If any of the cadets are found to be guilty of cheating, they could face expulsion.

"We hold all cadets to the high standard articulated by our Honor Concept," Dean of Academics Kurt Colella said in a prepared statement. "In situations like this it is the responsibility of Academy leadership to determine whether each accused cadet's actions are an opportunity for learning, or if their misconduct is serious enough to keep them from serving successfully as Coast Guard officers. We follow a methodical and deliberate process that involves a thorough investigation to identify the facts of the case, and will then determine the most appropriate means of addressing the issue with each cadet involved."

A section in the 2019 Cadet Handbook, labeled "The Honor Concept," says "The Coast Guard Academy's Honor Concept is exemplified by a person who will neither lie, cheat, steal, nor attempt to deceive. It is epitomized by an individual who places loyalty to duty above loyalty to personal friendship or to selfish desire."

"While the Coast Guard Academy's Honor Concept differs from a code, in that failure to report an honor offense is not itself an honor violation, cadets are required to report all activity that does not incriminate themselves. Moreover, the condoning of an honor violation is a Class I offense under the Cadet Regulations. Disenrollment is a very possible outcome," the section continues.

The academy is not providing any further details at this time.

j.bergman@theday.com

Twitter: @JuliaSBergman