The articles keep confusing the terms. (I didn’t know the different terms, either, until a few other freepers questioned the story when it first started spreading.)
These were “commended” students, as the article linked in your post says. The students weren’t semifinalists.
Here’s the difference: https://www.college-matters.com/news/2018/9/1/ask-the-consultant
If you want to know the REAL reason the awards were withheld, read the twitter thread below.
https://twitter.com/AsraNomani/status/1605707506801483776
Especially interesting is the following section where a school administrator ADMITS the awards were withheld ON PURPOSE.
“Dec 21, 2022
TJ admin Brandon Kosatka admitted to TJ mom Shawna Yashar they hide National Merit honors on purpose: “We want to recognize students for who they are as individuals, not focus on their achievements,” adding they don’t want to “hurt” the feelings of kids who don’t get the award.”
The fact that at least 17 other schools in the SYSTEM did the same thing shows the discrimination was SYSTEMIC, and not an accident.