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AITA for failing a student who refused to write in the correct language?
I teach communication and journalism in an Australian institution. We have strict policies about assignment submission, which must all be written in Australian English. There is lots of information about this policy on the website, students are emailed a copy of it, and I talk about it in the first couple of lectures. We also provide help to students who are struggling. And although it seems pedantic, as these are students who hope to work in Australia, writing for Australian organisations and Australian audiences, the academic council thought it was appropriate.

The students are given a guide on how to write properly, a copy of the policy, links to find academic support and contact details for all lecturers so they can approach us for help if they need it. For the first assignment, I point out any errors but don't mark them down for them.

This year, I had one student who, despite everything, insisted on submitting her assignments in US English. She claimed it was her native language and it was unfair of us to expect her to learn a new one. I put her request to the academic council and they rejected it. She was told it was a requirement of the course that she be proficient in Australian English, and that as she passed the entrance literacy exam, she was clearly able to demonstrate that proficiency. I was told to mark her assignments to the same standard as everyone else. She continued to submit in US English and continued to average around 10% for each assessment. Had she done them properly, she would have averaged around 55%. At the end of the year, she failed the course. She came to see me in tears and was distraught. She genuinely thought we would see things her way and the marks we gave her wouldn't count. She wanted to resubmit her assessments and write them in Australian English. She claimed we were discriminating against her because of her nationality and that, if she were in her native country, this wouldn't happen. I told her no, it was too late and that she could redo the course next semester and maybe she'd have a better understanding of what was required. She lodged a formal complaint against me, my department and the tutor. It was duly investigated and dismissed. She told me I was an arsehole and wished much misfortune upon me. Since then, several students of the same nationality have contacted the department and complained about the way she was treated. AITA?