Mississippi student Olecia James' lawsuit claims the honor of salutatorian went to a white student whose grade score appeared to be lower than hers.
JACKSON, Miss. – When Olecia James graduated last year, she was part of the first class to receive diplomas from a newly integrated high school, created after a district was ordered to desegregate in the Mississippi Delta, according to a federal lawsuit.
It's not the first lawsuit Ross has filed against the Cleveland school district on behalf of a graduate alleging discrimination. The district is located northwest of Jackson. James' suit claims the school district has"longstanding, widespread, deliberately indifferent custom, habit, practice and/or policy" to discriminate against its black students.
Superintendent Jacqueline Thigpen gave James a new corrected grade script which showed her cumulative weighted quality point average was 4.41, making her the first salutatorian of the newly integrated Cleveland Central High, the lawsuit claims. However, when the schools combined, the officials either took away or never assigned quality points earned by students who were enrolled in the advanced classes program at the historically black schools, the suit alleges.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Black Mississippi student says in lawsuit she was denied graduation honor because of raceHigh school wanted to avoid 'white flight' by awarding salutatorian to a white student with lower scores, claims suit.
Read more »
Opinion | John Singleton challenged white and black Americans to rethink the black experienceOpinion | Ronda Racha Penrice: 'Long before OscarsSoWhite, the visionary 'Boyz N the Hood' director depicted the world he saw — and wanted others to see.' - NBCNewsTHINK
Read more »
Black student robbed of salutatorian because district feared white flight, lawsuit allegesMississippi student Olecia James' lawsuit claims the honor of salutatorian went to a white student whose grade score appeared to be lower than hers.
Read more »
White high school student named salutatorian over black student with better grades, federal lawsuit claimsA white high school student was named salutatorian over a black student with better grades, a federal lawsuit claims
Read more »
Perspective | The centuries-long fight for reparationsAnd how black activists won the support of Democratic candidates.
Read more »
Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams won’t run for Senate but doesn’t rule out presidential bidStacey Abrams said she will not run for a U.S. Senate seat in 2020, dimming her party's hopes of a Senate majority and renewing speculation about her political future after last year's unsuccessful run for governor catapulted her to national acclaim.
Read more »
Dustin Lance Black Says He Sees Some Of Harvey Milk In Pete ButtigiegThe Oscar-winning Milk screenwriter also said he hopes that Buttigieg makes it clear that not everyone in the LGBT community must live a 'heteronormative' life.
Read more »
John Singleton was a cinematic champion for black lives on the big screenAnalysis: The late John Singleton was a cinematic champion for black lives on the big screen, masterfully telling stories about young people in South Los Angeles that still resonate today. - heyerinevans
Read more »