Friend accused of plagarism - what can I do to help?

[Ganjasaurus Rex]

There is a big difference between citing sources wrong and plagiarizing. If she's innocent, then she needs to take action to protect herself, and dealing directly with the professor in this case is pointless.

My advice, as always, would be for her to immediately approach the Dept Head/Chair and file a grievance against her professor. This should include the false accusation and any other information about how the professor "had it in for her and her friends the past few weeks, picking on them in class, making them go first, etc." If he was really doing this, then this is entirely unethical.

If she decides to go this course and wants legal help, then she should approach the student legal services at your university. While this *sounds* extreme, it is actually the appropriate action for an innocent student. In fact, in most universities, the professor in question is REQUIRED to tell her about these options as soon as the accusation is made.