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Posted on 03/08/2026 5:55:01 PM PDT by xxqqzz
A Washington state special needs student who graduated with a padded 3.78 GPA is suing her school district, claiming her diploma was a “participation trophy” that propelled her into financial strain.
Makena Simonsen claimed she graduated from the Edmonds School District in Lynwood reading at first-grade level — and was handed a high school diploma that blocked her from entering a free vocational program that helps special needs grads transition to independent life, King 5 reported.
“I should have earned that diploma,” the 22-year-old former student charged.
“Not just something that really got me nowhere.”
Makena Simonsen claimed she graduated from the Edmonds School District in Lynwood reading at first-grade level.
Simonsen, 22, says she shouldn’t have received her diploma until she finished the vocational studies program.
Simonsen, who graduated four years ago, became ineligible for the district’s program due to her diploma, and was forced to enroll in a similar one at Bellevue College that costs more than $40,000 annually.
Now in her third year, she’s reportedly on track to graduate college with about $160,000 in student debt.
“By letting her kind of pass along, giving her these grades and then giving her this diploma — which shut the door on her transition services access — they actually caused her harm,” her lawyer, Lara Hruska, argued, the outlet reported.
Simonsen’s 3.78 diploma she received from Edmonds School District in Lynwood, Washington.
Simonsen’s family is suing the district for “benevolent discrimination,” maintaining her diploma should have been withheld until she finished its vocational transition program.
“Her diploma was more of a participation trophy.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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She claims she couldn't get into some program because she has a high school diploma.
“… Simonsen, who graduated four years ago, became ineligible for the district’s program due to her diploma, and was forced to enroll in a similar one at Bellevue College that costs more than $40,000 annually.
Now in her third year, she’s reportedly on track to graduate college with about $160,000 in student debt.…”
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Hmmmm…. Is she reading at the third-grade level now?
They inflated her grades thinking it would help her
She couldn’t qualify for free or reduced cost college because of this.
They didn’t do her any favors
“It’s enough to make a skunk vomit!”
-Lee Rodgers
She wanted into a free program to help transition to independent life. But now she’s going to graduate from a “similar program,” which takes four years to complete at a well-regarded private college. I don’t see how that “free program” could be analogous to a four-year degree. Also, she seems to have transitioned pretty well, on track to graduate again.
No Child Left Behind
Well, good. Hope these bastard administrations get an education from this.
As well as the voters that put them there.
She is probably not the only person who had such happen. I think it is just a variation of the old “social promotion” gig but this time around there are falsified grades to make it look legit.
Makes me wonder if they have some sort of deal with Bellevue College and the tech school. Making sure the number of “free” students are limited.
she may be “special needs” but she’s smart enough to understand how crappy the woke public school bureaucracy is
> They inflated her grades thinking it would help her <
Retired urban public school teacher here. More likely the administrators inflated her grades to make themselves look good. It’s all about PR with those people.
The district where I taught even installed new test score software. It automatically changed any test score less than 50% to 50%.
If a student performed poorly on a test, I’d enter his true grade, say 10%. The software automatically changed it to 50%. Not a bug but a feature.
Happens all over the country, and not just to special needs kids.
Lawyers gotta lawyer.
oh, but the teachers and administrators felt soooo good. Now that is the important point.
oh, but the teachers and administrators felt soooo good. Now that is the important point.
Was she a student athlete ? All our football team starters get at least that.
No. They inflated her grades because they got some kind of monetary benefit from it.
Public schools are "For Profit" businesses. People get very upset when I point this out for some reason.
Public schools get paid per student. For disabled students they get paid a lot more, in most states four times the amount for a normal student. (you didn't think they were "testing" the students for the benefit of the students did you? You did? Bless your heart.)
Usually the "disabled" student is not taught anything but sometimes the state demands that at at least a few of them must show that they have learned something. Whoever they pick will get inflated grades to make it look at if they have made wonderful advances. And if that prevents the student from getting into a program that might actually help them the school does not care.
No matter how cynical you are. No matter how much you hate them. It is not enough.
The vocational training was not about getting her into college - it was about transitioning her to independent living. The lack of that training didn't harm her at all. Seems she did real fine in college despite being a dummy.
She participated and has proof.
Her parents want the state to pay $160k for more classes so their retarded crotch fruit might be no longer their problem
Why are she or her parents paying for some college when it is obvious she is retarded and cannot benefit from it? He can get some kind of job or husband who can support her or something. Education is obviously a waste of time and money for her.
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