What a complete and utter mess.
I had heard the story of the high school student who basically never went to school because she had some mysterious "immune deficiency illness", but had an astonishing academic record, was named valedictorian, and then sued the school for having the audacity to choose a co-valedictorian.
The school made the huge mistake of acknowledging that the accomplishment of straight As is different if you study only at home, with no distractions, no other responsibilities, and can take all AP classes, because you have no scheduling conflicts. Also: if you don't have to take gym, it is much easier to get straight A plusses. It seemed reasonable to assume that Ms. I'm-too-tired-to-come-to-school-but-not-too-tired-to-work-out-at-a-local-gym should accept that there should be a fellow valedictorian, someone who managed to shine academically while also participating in the social fray that is high school. So the school chose two valedictorians. But Blair Hornstine would have none of that. She and her judge-daddy sued the school: not only to be the sole valedictorian, but also for 2.7 million dollars in damages. WHAT? Damages? The school didn't say to her: "Well, since you never came to school, you can't be valedictorian at all." All they did was choose someone to share the award with her.
The school went out of their way to accommodate our chronic-fatigue heroine, and suing them was her response.
But I never knew all the details. The Weekly Standard tells the whole sordid story in the article I link to above, and it's too good to be true. I smell a TV movie in the making. I read it, thinking: What? Wait a sec ... what? Is this real?
A mysterious illness - nobody will say what it is... The judge-father hires a an "organized crime lawyer" to handle the case, a lawyer who has represented mob bosses and drug lords ... There is a 2.7 million dollar lawsuit... A town in an uproar, houses being egged, photos being defaced... And then randomly: accusations of plagiarism towards the valedictorian from a local newspaper ... Also: the image of the over-achieving lead of our story, running through the town with the Olympic torch... As people on the sidelines grumble with schaudenfraude.
Ambition meeting greed.
I can see why the town of Moorestown is thrilled to say good riddance to Ms. Hornstine. Sounds to me like she is the definition of "negative energy". Malevolence, thy name is Blair Hornstine.
I'm sure the parents are no picnic, either. A teenager can't hire a mob lawyer for herself, but a father who is a judge certainly can.
Yuk. These people sound despicable.
(via Kimberly Swygert)
Posted by sheila