# Valedictorian sues school! **URL:** \ **Category:** random\ **Created:** [June 17, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409 "2003-06-17T17:16:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Coolidge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Coolidge](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Coolidge)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/1 "2003-06-17T17:16:28Z")
So there’s this girl who has “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” who was also her schools valedictorian. Very commendable. :A+: But, since she is home-schooled most of the day due to her disability, the school wanted a second, full-time student to share the honors with her. C:-) In her schools guidelines, there is only supposed to be one. So, she sues, wins and becomes everyones enemy instantly. 😱 Now, the students at Harvard, where she plans on going to study law, want to prevent her from going-they don’t want to be associated with the likes of her. 😠 Many say that she mainly won the case because her father is a judge and he has ‘connections.’ :evil: Others say that she’s a faker about her disability because on the seniors “Grad-Nite” at Disney World, she displayed no signs of being “Chronically Fatigued.” :stunned: Any thoughts? You can read the full article [here.](http://msnbc.com/news/926843.asp?0sl=-44) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/2 "2003-06-17T17:30:38Z")
Sad. Really sad :(. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/3 "2003-06-17T17:54:42Z")
What do you expect. You’ll always find people like that. Especially in the US - land of the lawyers =)=) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/4 "2003-06-17T18:03:51Z")
yep ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/5 "2003-06-17T18:04:40Z")
especially with a lawyer for a father… I swear, lawyers always think the best way out is a law suit… dirty, rotten, filthy lawyers… j/k 😉 Rev ![](http://www.aulman.com/rev.gif) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/6 "2003-06-17T18:07:12Z")
The dad was actually a Judge, not a lawyer. (Not to throw it back at you).:beam: But that doesnt make it any better. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/7 "2003-06-17T18:10:57Z")
> \*Originally posted by Coolidge \* > \*\*The dad was actually a Judge, not a lawyer. (Not to throw it back at you).:beam: > But that doesnt make it any better. \*\* I would be willing to bet that the father is also a lawyer, and a judge… ::back at you:: :beam: Rev ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/8 "2003-06-17T18:11:05Z")
> \*Originally posted by mlkdesign \* > \*\*What do you expect. You’ll always find people like that. Especially in the US - land of the lawyers =)=) \*\* I wouldnt be so quick to pass it off as because Americans are lawsuit crazy ( Which MLK is true for the most part 🙂 ) The school had published rules about how it awards its validictorian. They did not adhere to those published guidelines. Graduation with such an honor (even in High School) will effect your acceptance/placement in college. College will ultimately effect your job later on in life. Your job later on in life is measured in dollars. I can see grounds for a lawsuit here. Harvard not accepting her because of the situation is discrimination. Grounds again for a lawsuit. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/9 "2003-06-17T18:12:35Z")
what I wonder, is if they tried to solve this locally, before taking it to the courts… Rev ![](http://www.aulman.com/rev.gif) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/10 "2003-06-17T18:12:49Z")
And good for her her pappy is a lawyer/judge. This case would clearly have been won even without him being either. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/11 "2003-06-17T18:19:27Z")
true, I agree Fester. We have made the grades/college such a big thing in our society. I mean you have to sign your kid up for kschool before he/she comes out of the womb… I think this could have been handled without a lawsuit, and without dragging the poor unpopular (goody-goody) girl through hell. If she does have CFS, which I see no reason to doubt, then she deserves even more consideration, not less, but she definitely didn’t need to have to remember her graduation from High School like this… no one does. Rev ![](http://www.aulman.com/rev.gif) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/12 "2003-06-17T18:19:41Z")
> The school had published rules about how it awards its validictorian. They did not adhere to those published guidelines. Fester 8542- I like how you noticed and pointed that out. I wanted to hear unbiased reactions, that is why I tried to be very neutral in the original post. :elderly: ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/13 "2003-06-17T18:23:16Z")
:beam: BTW Cool… I loved your use of smilies in the original post 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/14 "2003-06-17T18:24:38Z")
yeah, I tried to keep it interesting, but when it all comes down to it, I’m just a geek.:geek: ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/15 "2003-06-17T20:24:26Z")
I read about this story a few days ago. There was something else that might give Harvard a more sound reason for revoking her admission: > Still, Hornstine held the moral high ground until June 3, when her local newspaper, the Courier-Post, reported that language in five articles she had written for a teen section should have been attributed to the original writers: former president Bill Clinton and Supreme Court Justices Potter Stewart and William Brennan. It’s not clear yet whether this will jeopardize her Harvard acceptance; Harvard officials say they won’t comment on a student’s status. She did try to claim that as an accident, and as long as she didn’t give herself credit for the information, it is as her lawyers say a “non-issue.” Of course, I hope she applied to other colleges in case Harvard does decide to not include her for next year. The URL for the full news article from where I stole:pirate: the quote from is: [MSNBC News - Breaking News and News Today | Latest News](http://www.msnbc.com/news/926843.asp) Cheers! Kirupa :ub: ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/16 "2003-06-17T20:40:20Z")
-------------from that same article---------------------- > In print, Hornstine acknowledged that she was “incorrect in … thinking that news articles didn’t require as strict citation scrutiny as most school assignments because there was no place for footnotes or endnotes.” I don’t know why she would think that. It’s not like after high school you don’t need to worry about proper citation…that is… unless you are **Jayson Blair** of the New York Times.:thumb: ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/17 "2003-06-17T21:00:57Z")
Ouch!! Good Point Coolidge!!! 🙂 Cheers! -Niann ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/18 "2003-06-18T18:26:10Z")
How do you become the valedictorian of a high school or be Harvard material, and not know that proper citations are needed when quoting something… that would be reason enough to not let her into Harvard, but as far as being home schooled for a diagnosed illness but registered at the school, then those are the published rules. She must attend some school in order to be a registered student and if she is a registered stufent with highest G.P.A and what ever other qualifications are needed then she shoudl be valedictorian and probably would have one that lawsuit despite anyone her father may know! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/19 "2003-06-18T18:31:57Z")
I just wonder if they tried to settle this before going to court. That would have made everyone happy…maybe except the other guy that got the vaeldictorian. The school wouldnt look like they were discriminating against a disabled student. The Girl wouldn’t look like a brat. The Dad wouldn’t look like a brat. Her house would not be vandalized and she wouldnt receive threats. And Harvard would most likely welcome her. That’s the big problem today…lawsuits…way too many. When it all comes down to it…the school messed up. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409/20 "2003-06-18T18:35:36Z")
basically… a statistic that I know is true, there are more students in law school, then there are lawyers in the country! Being on of those students, I still think there are two many lawsuits around!! [Next page](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/valedictorian-sues-school/23409.md?page=2)