Do you think penalties are fair for students that cheat in class? College etc.

It depends on what penalties, and the severity of the student cheating.

So, the student is cheating on something minor, something unimportant, then I don't think they need to be kicked out of class just for that, but maybe get a 0 on that whole thing and that will teach them a lesson.

If the student is cheating on something important (excluding big tests), then the school should probably: A, give them a 0 on it or B, move them down to a lower level so the student feels like they don't have to cheat.

The worst thing they could do is cheat on a really big test like an exam, then they will probably end up with a big fat 0 on it all and flunk that class, or get kicked out of class.

Lots of people (adults and kids) think that penalties should be easier on the kids, but I don't agree with that. If the kid has done something wrong, then the kid needs to pay for their actions and deal with the consequences.