A Texas school was taken to court amidst a fierce battle between two students over the title of valedictorian of their high school.
In January, senior Nathan Olivarri was named valedictorian at Legacy The School for Sport Sciences, a charter school in Spring, Texas. By February, the school said that a junior who decided to graduate early actually had the highest GPA and would be given the honor.
Olivarri had a 4.4547 while the unnamed junior had a 4.6530, according to court records obtained by KTRK-TV.
A lawsuit by Olivarri’s family argued that the other student’s GPA was improperly calculated and that it was too late in the year for the title to be transferred, according to a student handbook.
A judge sided with Olivarri’s family, ordering that the senior would be named valedictorian and be allowed to give a speech at graduation.
“I am thankful to the courthouse for realizing who the true valedictorian is, and I’m thankful to my parents for always supporting me through everything,” Nathan Olivarri told KTRK-TV.
The school argued in its legal response that the junior was not the only student who decided to graduate early, and as a result, changed their class ranking. It said that GPAs were calculated following state guidelines and were announced correctly.
The school also conducted an independent investigation and a review by its board, both of which found that the school calculated the GPAs correctly and that the school was not wrong in naming the junior valedictorian.
The Independent has contacted Legacy The School for Sport Sciences for more information.
In a statement to the TV station, the school said their “unwavering focus has always been and will remain on honoring the dedication and hard work of every one of our students.”
Meanwhile, the Olivarri family was grateful to the judge for their ruling. Graduation was held this past weekend, and Nathan delivered his speech.
“A lot of this could have been avoided, but it’s the past; we’re putting it behind us,” his father, Vincent Olivarri, said.
The school’s founder told the outlet that the legal process is ongoing.
More details here...
