Valedictorian sues school!

[Coolidge]

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. :scream:

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. :angry:

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)

[Voetsjoeba]

Sad. Really sad :(.

[mlk]

What do you expect. You'll always find people like that. Especially in the US - land of the lawyers =)=)

[morse]

yep

[reverendflash]

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

;)

Revhttp://www.aulman.com/rev.gif

[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.

[reverendflash]

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:


Revhttp://www.aulman.com/rev.gif

[fester8542]

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.

[reverendflash]

what I wonder, is if they tried to solve this locally, before taking it to the courts...

Revhttp://www.aulman.com/rev.gif

[fester8542]

And good for her her pappy is a lawyer/judge.

This case would clearly have been won even without him being either.

[reverendflash]

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.

Revhttp://www.aulman.com/rev.gif

[Coolidge]

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:

[fester8542]

:beam:

BTW Cool....

I loved your use of smilies in the original post :)

[Coolidge]

yeah, I tried to keep it interesting, but when it all comes down to it, I'm just a geek.:geek:

[kirupa]

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: http://www.msnbc.com/news/926843.asp

Cheers!
Kirupa :ub:

[Coolidge]

-------------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:

[Niann]

Ouch!! Good Point Coolidge!!! :)

Cheers!
-Niann

[rere420]

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!

[Coolidge]

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.

[rere420]

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!!

[fester8542]

That may be so.

But I would love to sue the bag out of some company like McDonals or something for a few million.

Right or wrong, I would laugh my way to the bank.

[rere420]

me too....

its like the woman who sued for the coffee being hot!!!

If you are the first person to sue for something chances are you will walk away witha few million!!

[fester8542]

that broad was brilliant!

[pinx]

hahahha, only in america.

[Whippersnapper]

I'm going to sue my highschool, I sleept through most of it and they didn't help me out with an improved schedule to combat my fatigue.

About the coffee, the lady recieved 2nd and 3rd degree burns from it, so it was obviously too hot, a little common sense wouldn't hurt either. It's not the fact that the lawsuits get filed its the amount people are rewarded that is outrageous.

[pinx]

or how about these idiots that say they have lung cancer cause they smoked two packs a day for 30 years and now they wanna sue a cigarette company. ummm excuse me, did somebody shove those cigarettes down your throat or did you light them up yourself.

[reverendflash]

I'm very surprised no one has sued and won, when the server tells you the plate is hot, then you always touch it...

I've worked in places where the plate is hot enough to cause 2nd degree burns...

I'm just surprised that no one has become famous at least...

Revhttp://www.aulman.com/rev.gif

[pinx]

hahah, computer geeks don't deserve justice.

[Jubba]

lol, if you're going to sue mcDonalds, do it for a real reason. Sue McDonalds because their food sucks.

[rere420]

its sort of crazy the whole cigarette law suit issues! Problem is...30 years ago even 10 years ago, cigarette companies were saying the there were actually no valid links to cigarettes causing cancer--not that commonsense doesnt tell ya but still...they flat out lied about it even when they did know it!

So, if you are suing from back then thats a little different then the idiots who say it know or even ten years ago...

There has actually only been one successful case won against a cigarette company that they had to pay, others have been found quilty but have never had to pay...The state of Mississippi is the only one--check out the book Assumming the Risk: The Mavericks, The Lawyers and Big Tobacco, it is really long but pretty interesting!

[mjULTRA]

anyone ever hear the vintage commercial for camels saying, "The brand doctors trust most is camels..." Freaky...

[fester8542]

Originally posted by Majeye
anyone ever hear the vintage commercial for camels saying, "The brand doctors trust most is camels..." Freaky...

LMAO!

Thats the greatest slogan for tobacco!

I with it said tat on my marb lights!