RWA Responds to Plagiarism Case

As many of you have no doubt heard by now, the popular romance author, Cassie Edwards, is under scrutiny for charges of plagiarism. The Smart Bitches Who Read Trashy Novels website was the first to raise the issue, and other sites have quickly jumped on board with their own take on the subject. If you visit the Dear Author website, you'll see a side-by-side comparison of the texts in question, so you can judge for yourself.

The following alert was sent out to all RWA members, and it addresses the situation:

RWA Alert: RWA Responds to Plagiarism Accusations

There are heated discussions on various loops and blogs regarding the accusations of plagiarism against a published romance author. Some questions have also been raised regarding RWA’s stand on the matter. To be clear, RWA does not condone plagiarism or any type of copyright infringement. (Please see RWA’s Code of Ethics http://www.rwanational.org/cs/code_of_ethics).

RWA takes all accusations of plagiarism very seriously. RWA also stands behind the idea that guilt or innocence should be determined after a thorough review of all documents and sources, not based on discussions or articles found on the internet or in other news media.

Within RWA, there is a process in place to examine claims of plagiarism made against RWA members. That process includes a set of procedures that affords the individual due process. Any member found to be in violation of RWA’s Code of Ethics is subject to disciplinary action including loss of membership.

According to information RWA has, Cassie Edwards was once a member of RWA and is listed on RWA’s Honor Roll; however, it appears she allowed her membership to lapse four or more years ago. If guilt is admitted or established, RWA will take appropriate steps with regard to the Honor Roll listing.

Members have raised questions about a news article that includes a quote by RWA’s president. The president was asked to give an expert opinion on the issue based solely upon information available in internet blogs. The president does not have enough first-hand information to adequately assess the allegations.

Romance Writers of America