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discussed changing the school policy to allow multiple valedictorians. In April, Kadri proposed an amendment to the existing policy that read, "In determining the recipients of , the Board may review the program of study, manner of instruction, and other relevant issues, and in its discretion, with the assistance of the administration, may designate multiple valedictorians and/or salutatorians to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to compete for these awards." The proposal was to be voted on by the school board on May 12.
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224:(AP) courses and honors courses in calculating a student's GPA. An A+ grade, worth 4 point towards the GPA in a regular course, counted as 5 points in an AP course and 4.5 points in an honors course. Kadri further claimed "she was also able to secure higher grades in her home instruction classes than students enrolled in the same courses at Moorestown High School."
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The court rejected those claims pointing out that the runner up had taken two more AP courses than
Hornstine, and while she had taken three more honors courses than the runner up, the net result was a statistical advantage for the runner up. The Court also examined and rejected claims that she was
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of
Schools Paul J. Kadri was approached by "parents, students, and other community members" who complained that "students were not provided equal opportunities to earn the awards" because of accommodations granted to Hornstine. Kadri held meetings at the high school in early 2003 in which he
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The Court found that
Hornstine met the conditions for issuing an injunction, including a likelihood of prevailing on the merits of her case. In addition to finding that "the Board's proposed action was intended and designed to have a particular exclusionary effect on plaintiff because of her
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On June 10, Hornstine, through her lawyer, Edwin Jacobs, informed the school that she would not attend graduation, which was held on June 19, and requested her valedictorian award be made in absentia, saying, "the hostile environment at the school has traumatized Blair both physically and
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ordered the
Moorestown school district to follow its existing policy and name Blair Hornstine the sole valedictorian for the class of 2003. Wolfson wrote, "Ms. Hornstine earned her distinction as the top student in her class in spite of, not because of, her disability".
220:(IEP) approved by the school board. Kadri contended that because of the "availability of many AP courses in her home instruction program" Hornstine "was able to earn more 'weighted' grades" than other students. Moorestown High School assigned a higher weight to
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emotionally." Her house had been hit by eggs and paintballs, and she had received a threatening letter. Hornstine's claim for compensatory and punitive damages was settled on August 19 for $ 60,000, including $ 45,000 in legal fees.
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disabled status," the Court cited a ruling by the New Jersey
Commissioner of Education in a case in which there was no disability issue and that barred a retroactive change to requirements for the award of valedictorian.
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to revoke
Hornstine's admission to the school. Following investigation, Harvard University did revoke her admission after finding that Hornstine had plagiarized an essay she had written for a local paper.
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to prevent the school board from changing its policy retroactively, as well as $ 2.7 million in damages. Kadri sent a letter to the runner-up advising him he was under consideration for
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Under the published school board policy for the 2002–2003 academic year, the graduating senior student with the highest seventh semester weighted
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Local and later national media focused intense attention on the case, leading to talk-radio scorn and an online petition calling for
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that considered whether grades received by a student with a disability for classes where accommodations had been made under an
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to stop them "from retroactively applying to her a proposed policy amendment that would allow the designation of multiple
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United States
District Court for the District of New Jersey cases
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United States
District Court for the District of New Jersey
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District Court for the District of New Jersey
512:"Valedictorian Settles Dispute With Schools For $ 60,000"
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Superintendent Kadri claimed that Hornstine's father, a
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honors. Blair Hornstine, then in her final year at
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438:. Los Angeles Times. p. A27. Archived from
409:"Demographics, Nerves, Valedictorian, Vouchers"
152:Moorestown Township (New Jersey) Public Schools
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612:Education in Burlington County, New Jersey
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432:"Student Sues to Be a Sole Valedictorian"
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485:"A Valedictory Mess at Moorestown High"
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255:On May 8, 2003, U.S. District Judge
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356:Hornstine v. Township of Moorestown
89:Moorestown Township Public Schools
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577:United States disability case law
380:Jonathan V. Last (July 7, 2003).
251:Injunction granted and settlement
592:United States education case law
483:Strauss, Robert (June 8, 2003).
430:Goldman, John J. (May 8, 2003).
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136:Individualized Education Program
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597:2003 in United States case law
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218:Individualized Education Plan
561:BLAIR HORNSTINE: CONCLUSION
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361:263 F. Supp. 2d 887
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165:Valedictorian controversy
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210:chronic fatigue syndrome
466:"The Joy of Graduating"
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127:Hornstine v. Moorestown
35:Hornstine v. Moorestown
18:Hornstine v. Moorestown
582:Moorestown, New Jersey
489:Up Front: Worth Noting
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382:"First in Her Class"
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571:Categories
563:2009-06-03
436:The Nation
411:. Fox News
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