Embattled Valedictorian Settles Suit

AP ^ | 8/19/2003 | Staff Writer

[sjersey]

A Moorestown teen who sued to be her high school's sole valedictorian settles a lawsuit with the town's school board. Blair Hornstine sued the school for $2.7 million after the Moorestown Board of Education sought to revise the school's valedictorian policy to allow for more than one student to hold the top honor.

Hornstine, who sought to be the only valedictorian in the class of 2003, remains valedictorian, but will get only $15,000 from the litigation.

The school district and its insurance carriers agreed to pay $60,000 to settle the case. Of that, $45,000 will go to Hornstine's lawyers, according to the settlement.

"It is time for the board and our community to move forward in the interests of all students," school board President Cyndy Wulfsberg said in a statement. "The board appreciated the concern and support expressed by the community during the last several months, and looks forward to the upcoming school year."

Hornstine's lawyer, Edwin J. Jacobs, did not immediately return a phone call to The Associated Press for comment Tuesday evening.

Hornstine graduated in June from highly regarded Moorestown High School with near-perfect grades and a near-perfect SAT score. She had garnered attention from President Bush, among others, for her good works in the community. Hornstine attracted national media attention after she sued the public school system in May claiming she should be the only valedictorian in her graduating class. She was the target of an online petition signed by hundreds, a brouhaha at Harvard, the scorn of talk-radio hosts and, her family said, the subject of death threats. Hornstine suffers from an immune deficiency, and during her last two years of high school, spent most of her school days at home and was exempted from classes such as physical education. Though she had the highest grades in her class, the school administration wanted her to share the valedictorian title with another student.

In May, a federal judge ruled that it would be discriminatory for the school district to change its valedictorian policy. The matter of damages was scheduled to be heard before a judge later this week before the settlement was struck.

As part of the agreement, the school district agreed not to appeal the earlier ruling.

Hornstine skipped her graduation ceremony to escape the media attention, but ended up in the public eye again when she admitted she had misattributed sources of material she used in essay contests and student columns for the Courier-Post of Cherry Hill.

The writings appeared to borrow themes, structures and, in several cases, verbatim passages from sources ranging from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and a presidential proclamation to a professional foreign affairs analysis.

Moorestown school officials were reviewing Hornstine's academic writings as well.

The Harvard Crimson reported last month that Hornstine's admission offer from Harvard had been rescinded because of the plagiarism discovery.

Neither Hornstine's lawyers nor university officials would comment, but none denied the report.

[Drango]

The Harvard Crimson reported last month that Hornstine's admission offer from Harvard had been rescinded because of the plagiarism discovery.

bummer

[Loyalist]

And so ends this silly story, leaving Ms. Hornstine without a place to go in September, her reputation tarnished for all to see in the press, possibly the loss of her high school diploma and a measly $15K which she'll likely blow through overnight.

All for an empty honour, forgotten in a moment.

[jocon307]

I was going to say I hope this twerp ends up scrubbing toilets, but that would insult many fine toilet scrubbers everywhere.

I really don't know what I want to happen to her, but I hope she is shunned for the rest of her life for her obnoxious and destructive and self-serving behavior.

[freeangel]

Too bad the school system and insurance carrier does not go after her and her parents for felony fraud. I'm sick of paying taxes so people like this can play and almost always win the lottery suit game.

[Renegade]

Still can land a job with "The New York Times "

[lelio]

The Harvard Crimson reported last month that Hornstine's admission offer from Harvard had been rescinded because of the plagiarism discovery.

Woo woo!

[dennisw]

btrttttt

[lelio]

LOL!

[snopercod]

Yes. As we all know, one who refuses to serve others has no right to exist.

[moyden2000]

[dennisw]

Sorted by relevance   Sort by date

 

Embattled Valedictorian Settles Suit
WPVI, PA - 41 minutes ago
Blair Hornstine sued the school for $2.7 million after the Moorestown Board of Education
sought to revise the school's valedictorian policy to allow for more ...
 

Embattled Valedictorian Settles Lawsuit Against Her School
WNBC, NY - 24 minutes ago
... town's school board. Blair Hornstine will get $15,000 from the settlement.
Her lawyers will get $45,000. That's considerably less ...
 

Harvard to Hornstine: No Way
Newsweek - Aug 8, 2003
THE HARVARD CRIMSON reported last week that the school had rescinded Hornstine’s
acceptance after learning that she had used unattributed text from other ...
 

A pointless sacrifice
Jewsweek - Jul 23, 2003
... STUDENT DISUNION: Blair Hornstine, age 18, Senior at Moorestown High School and
her lawyer, Edwin Jacobs, Jr., leave the Federal Court House in Camden, NJ. ...
 

Driven to disgrace
News of Delaware County, PA - Jul 23, 2003
The story of Blair Hornstine is chilling. Hornstine is the Moorestown
High School graduate who fought and won a legal battle to ...
 

Girl tells of Oaklyn trio's 'rescue' plot
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA - Aug 10, 2003
... Superior Court Judge Louis Hornstine ordered the juveniles detained
until trial. On Aug. 26, Hornstine will begin considering whether ...
 

 

 

[VMI70]

"I really don't know what I want to happen to her,..."

Ok, but I'd like to hear from you what you want to happen to Edwin J. Jacobs, her lawyer.

[dennisw]

http://www.jewsweek.com/bin/en.jsp?enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enDispWho=Article%5El543&enZone=Opinions&enVersion=0&

[Williams]

How do you really feel about her?

[superfluousdude]

My high school had three valedictorians in 1994. In 1996 they had eight. This kind of feel-good nonsense just boggles the mind.

[sharktrager]

So, her dad's ego cost her her Harvard slot, and her reputation, for $15,000.

Good deal.

[Williams]

Interesting result, because once she won the case and was sole valedictorian and was going to harvard she really had no damages. But now she lost Harvard and is royally screwed, but can't blame it on anybody but herself. Few of us get sucha harsh lesson early in life.

The "real" story here for conservatives is that a federal judge lambasted the school in ruling for Ms. Hornstine. The judge was "right" under the law, but what on Earth are federal courts doing deciding local nonsense like this? Laws like ADA have gone WAY too far.

[freedumb2003]

school district and its insurance carriers agreed to pay $60,000 to settle the case. Of that, $45,000 will go to Hornstine's lawyers, according to the settlement.

Hmmm... good thing we have lawyers to make sure that the proceeds go to the claimant.

This is sick! In soooo many ways!

[Lizavetta]

Though she had the highest grades in her class, the school administration wanted her to share the valedictorian title with another student.

She had the highest grades because she could evade the lower-point-value classes, such as PE that THE OTHERS HAD TO TAKE, and take more higher-point-value classes, like honors and college-prep classes. I read somewhere that she also got tutors (taxpayer-subsidized) to teach her at home because of her 'condition'. The others didn't get that either.

Funny how the article failed to mention this.