A year-old cheating scandal is still casting a shadow over Harvard Yard.

This fall, students who were suspended for a year are returning to Harvard University, but the bitterness and finger- pointing haven't faded away, the New York Times reports.

Last summer, school officials revealed that as many as half the students in a large lecture class - identified as Introduction to Congress - may have cheated on a take-home final exam in May, 2012. About 70 students were suspended, and the soul-searching began.

But perhaps the most startling revelation is that the course itself had a reputation for being easy. No required attendance. Easy A's. So why would students at one of the nation's most elite schools cheat? The Times reports that students complained that the "grading got tougher and the exam questions became harder and more confusing."