# Girl who sued school to be valdictorian caught plagarizing. Hee. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 6, 2003, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055 "2003-06-06T12:03:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jb\_007clone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jb\_007clone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_007clone)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/41 "2003-06-06T21:46:36Z")
Dr. J, it’s not schadenfreude, don’t feel guilty. It’s seeing justice come to someone that has abused the system. Plain and simple. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/42 "2003-06-06T21:58:49Z")
What is a valedictarian, and why is it so important to be a sole valedictarian ? And what advantage does this wonderful title ennoble the holder with? And how come in the UK we have to make do with such downbeat institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge when we could have whatever these valedictarians have to contribute to our intellectual life ? And yes, this is for real, I have not the slightest idea what these valedictarians are, are they positions that have been occupied by very famous Americans, and was being a valedictarian important or would those important Americans have made it without this title anyway ? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/43 "2003-06-06T22:07:47Z")
**casdave** , in the US, a valedictorian is simply the person who is at the top of their class. It’s a title that means something at graduation, when the valedictorian gets special recognition. Once the banners come down and the gowns are taken off, no one cares. Except Blair Hornstine. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Quantum\_Butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e79b87/32.png) [@Quantum\_Butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quantum_Butterfly)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/44 "2003-06-06T22:08:24Z")
> [@](#): > > _Posted by DoctorJ_ > > How in holy hell is she ever planning to get through Harvard? Beats me, **Doc**. I’m 20 and I still can’t manage 12 units due to the seizures, hence am not at university. (If you can’t do 12 units, you’re not a full time student, and cannot get scholarships.) Quantum Sister is going to have a tough enough time of it at a Cal State school, and we’re both smart people. ---
**Author:** ![lilbtagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@lilbtagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilbtagna)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/45 "2003-06-06T22:11:53Z")
**casdave** , a valedictorian is simply the ones to graduate from school with the highest grade point average (therefore the top of the class) or a grade point average above a certain point. It really isn’t a big deal at all, and I thought it was stupid for her to sue in the first place. At some universities, scholarships are offered to students who graduate from high school as valedictorians. At many more universities, scholarships are based on the individual’s own work and accomplishments, not whether or not he or she was the “best” in the grade. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/46 "2003-06-06T22:17:28Z")
The valedictorian is the student with the highest rank or grade point average in a graduating class. The advantage this title conveys is that the holder is given the privilege of delivering the valedictory address at commencement. To be blunt, almost no one in the real world cares if you were or weren’t the valedictorian in your high school graduating class. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/47 "2003-06-06T22:18:47Z")
Or, what **lilbtagna** said. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/48 "2003-06-06T22:37:33Z")
There can be financial considerations attached to being a valedictorian in some cases (although not in the case of this litigious little twit). In my home state–Louisiana–the valedictorian from each high school was granted a tuition waiver at any of the state universities. That’s one of the main reasons I didn’t have to take any student loans to get through college. The tuition at LSU is quite low compared to say, Harvard, but it’s pretty steep for a lot of people in Lousiana. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/49 "2003-06-06T22:41:09Z")
Why the big fuss ? Seems a bit of a nothing to me. I thought it was some student judge of work (validator?)or a serious position of trust. Anyway, if she was top dog in terms of grades, shouldn’t she expect to be a valedictarian by right ? ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/50 "2003-06-06T22:45:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by casdave \* > Anyway, if she was top dog in terms of grades, shouldn’t she expect to be a valedictarian by right ? OP’s link: > [@](#): > > Lovern said Hornstine’s writings came before she sued the Moorestown public school district in federal court last month to prevent two other students from being named valedictorian along with her. > > Hornstine, who completed many of her courses over the last two years with tutors because of an immune deficiency, argued that she should be the only valedictorian because she has the highest grades. > > The school district argued that the shared honors were fair because Hornstine took many classes at home did not take courses required by non-disabled students, such as gym. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/51 "2003-06-06T23:08:23Z")
Any of y’all considered that just maybe she has a valid point and that this was the way to get Justice? [sub]warning: irony[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/52 "2003-06-06T23:17:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duke \* > \*\*Her name is Blair too?? I’d forgotten that. > > It’s been a bad month for plagarists named Blair (Hornstine _and_ Jayson). \*\* And Tony, currently facing calls for an independent inquiry as to what extent he (and I quote) “sexed up” intelligence reports to drum up support for the war in Iraq. Does no one present factual reports any more? ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/53 "2003-06-06T23:19:13Z")
Tell you what; you give the general public the particulars of your entire medical history first. I don’t know exactly how she has framed her Equal Protection claim but I am betting she established it on the fact that due to her handicap she could not participate in gym and the school taking this into account, her handicap, treats her unequally. This is a very crude attempt and certainly needs refinement but I am saying only the “direction” she probably took. A rough analogy is perhaps the way in which schools in the 1800’s graduated its students. The schools were at the time primarily independent of the state and set their own criteria as to how long students must attend, what classes students must take to complete their education and what GPA they must attain at a minimum. Hence, these rules created an expectation, the students, based on the rules, expected to graduate from the community school so long as they complied with all the requisites enumerated in the rules. Their expectation was graduation. This expectation was created by the rules. All this girl seems to be saying is they must play by the rules they set for the school year. As a result of her disadvantage she does not nor should she have to play by the rules of everybody else. Presumably the rules that governed her did not receive that much of an advantage but are designed to even the playing field the assumption being she is not on a level playing field as others without a disability. So they make rules that govern her to place her on an equal playing field with others who do not have disabilities. So the fact she did not play by the same rules is really not very detrimental to her claim. To the contrary she was playing by the rules. She played by the rules that governed individuals who were handicapped. Did she play by the rules for students who were not handicapped? Of course not but make no mistake she played by the rules designated for those with a handicap. She also played by and adhered to the school rules governing who is to be appointed as valedictorian. Adhering to the rules and laws can be “just”. Sometimes to reach justice requires a focus and adherence to the rules and law. But make no mistake lawyers do care about justice and a reliance upon the rules and laws is very helpful in reaching a just conclusion. Or perhaps the law suit is right on so many levels. [sub]I didn’t know there were rules[/sub] [sub]See previous warning[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/54 "2003-06-06T23:40:24Z")
I’m sure she will eventually write a book about here plagiarizing and make gazillions. The name of her book? **The Blair Bitch Project** 😃 ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/55 "2003-06-06T23:50:42Z")
Why am I not drunk yet, Ike? Well, I blame it on me being handicapped… who should I sue? (I am actually handicapped, for the record.) ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/56 "2003-06-06T23:52:50Z")
Sue Dartmouth. Obviously, they need to get you into the handicapped-alcoholic program. 😉 😉 ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/57 "2003-06-07T02:01:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Quantum Butterfly \* > \*\*It’s stuff like this that gives disabled people a bad reputation. \*\* TELL me about it. I’m on a email list with a bunch of people with related conditions to mine – I’m disabled, too – and there were several people posting about how happy they were to see a disabled person not get held down by “the system.” Since I don’t have my head up my ass, which is a common condition among ALL humans regardless of their physical status, I pointed out that the Real World people I knew online considered her to be a whiny little BRAT. And also that I did, disabled myself or not, since I KNEW she was making the rest of us look bad! They shut up real quick. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/58 "2003-06-07T02:48:20Z")
I’d like just like to point out that when I was 17, I _was_ a professional journalist–I wrote sports for the daily paper around here on a part-time basis. Oh and her and her parents can help themselves to a nice warm cup of STFU. ---
**Author:** ![JessEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cdc98d/32.png) [@JessEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JessEnigma)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/59 "2003-06-07T04:12:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lno \* > **The valedictorian is the student with the highest rank or grade point average in a graduating class. The advantage this title conveys is that the holder is given the privilege of delivering the valedictory address at commencement.** Or, if you attend my high school, you gain virtually no privilege from being valedictorian. Since there’s inevitably at least 10 people with the exact same top GPA, the school just recognizes “distinguished graduates” and the senior class president gives the address at graduation. The distinguished graduates can each legitimately claim to be valedictorian on college applications and everyone’s happy. More or less. Unless some non-distinguished graduates are miffed that some of those people took slacker classes for 4 years and get rewarded with valedictorian status or somebody’s bitter because they weren’t voted class president and don’t get to give the speech. But nobody’s sued yet. They’d get chewed up worse than this girl if they tried. ---
**Author:** ![Daowajan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055/60 "2003-06-07T05:17:23Z")
I heard about this three days ago, and I’m STILL happy. That can’t be good, can it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girl-who-sued-school-to-be-valdictorian-caught-plagarizing-hee/180055.md?page=4)