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A Black student by the name of Olecia James is suing her former school district after accusing them of awarding a white classmate the title of salutatorian, despite the student reportedly having a lower grade-point average than James.
Black student robbed of salutatorian because district feared white flight, lawsuit alleges https://t.co/fm1I2EJB0r pic.twitter.com/UKRb9bwalJ
— Harold Gater (@haroldgater) May 2, 2019
In court documents obtained by the Clarion Ledger, James claims that Cleveland School District officials revoked her the honor of being class salutatorian because they “feared white flight.” White flight is the term used to describe white people moving out of certain areas once neighborhoods become significantly more populated by minorities.
Last year, James was actually part of the first graduating class to receive diplomas from the newly integrated school. In 2017, the district was ordered to combine East Side High School, a predominantly Black school, and Cleveland High School, a predominantly white school, to form the newly Cleveland Central.
When it came time for James to graduate from Cleveland Central the following year, she was ready to be named salutatorian— an academic honor recognizing the graduating student with the second-best grades.
Unfortunately, two weeks before her commencement ceremony, the then high school senior learned school officials had lowered her grade point average from 4.41 to 4.33, by reducing the “quality points,” James earned from her previous institution, East Side High.
According to Clarion Ledger, the district uses “quality points” to measure the rigorousness of certain courses offered at a school. James’ attorney, Lisa Ross, explained to the publication that an “A” grade in a class considered to be more challenging, counts for more points than an “A” in a less rigorous class.
This point system resulted in James being given a new grade script with a lower GPA, subsequently resulting in a white student, who is only identified in the lawsuit by the initials “W.H.,” to then be named salutatorian.
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James is currently seeking a jury trial, while her attorneys are requesting that James be awarded an unspecified amount in monetary damages, attorneys fees and court costs. It is also asking that James be made the salutatorian for Cleveland Central High’s 2018 graduating class.
The school district has yet to file a response to James’ lawsuit.
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