It's 2011 right? Black girl not allowed to be valedictorian

For fuck's sake it's 2011...
Really? Seriously?

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/07/25/38410.htm

 

Maybe they did it because they hate rhyming names.

 

I don't know, does the school have a set policy for valedictorians? I know at my school and many I've covered, the student with the highest average has received an academic proficiency medal, while the class has generally been able to vote on their valedictorian.

 

Let's see. Ambiguous, overheard hearsay in the copy room.

Sounds like a rock solid case to me. Open and shut.

 

I've got to hope/believe there's more to the story. As described, it's horrible, but it's almost too horrible to believe.

I figured the argument would be that the White student took harder classes, but the article says the African-American student took AP classes, so that doesn't appear to be the reason.

Hopefully we will learn more about this one.

 

Well, we'll see. Saying she "loaded up" on those classes isn't exactly precise.

I'm with you. There needs to be a lot more, although lawsuits like this are typically pretty vague in the initial complaint because there's no need to tip your hand right off the bat. You just need to claim enough to get past the initial pleading stage.

 

There's a byline on this, but it looks more like a press release.

What is this "News Service"?

 

HuffPost has a PDF of the court filing.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/25/black-student-cant-be-val_n_909163.html

 

I agree there is much unknown about this case from the excerpt above.

If there was a pattern of racial discrimination, I would have fought it and brought it to the attention of the school board (and the public) long before the May graduation.

However, if this case rings true as presented, it wouldn't surprise me too awful much. Elected officials about 90 minutes away, in Gould, considered an ordinance that banned any new group from forming or assembling without the town council's permission.

http://www.fox16.com/mostpopular/story/Ordinance-threatens-citizens-constitutional-rights/O85syUUHxU-b8MUO5w5hog.cspx

A second ordinance banned the mayor "from meeting with anyone without council approval."

Only in Arkansas ... I hope.

 

Stuff like that is a problem in small towns everywhere.

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/town-of-quartzsite-puts-more-than-half-of-its-police-department-on-leave

 

I have a hard time imagining that at a school with 46 percent African-American population, that naming an African-American the valedictorian would cause a huge mess.

(I also have a hard time imagining that a school with a 46 percent African-American population could be "predominantly white." Must not be any Hispanics or Native Americans or Asian folks in Little Rock).

 

Yeah, that was a little weird to read.

Had to read it twice to make sure I was reading it right.