Nonprofit Mississippi News CLEVELAND – Tears ran down Olecia’s face when she didn’t hear her name called the salutatorian of the Class 2018 at the newly consolidated Cleveland Central High School. “I was so broken. It was so hurt. She said that I was hurt. It was not mine to feel, but it was painful knowing what I should have had. It hurt in a different way.” Cleveland Central High was not where she had hoped to graduate, but she made the most out of it. While working towards becoming salutatorian, she became a basketball and tennis player as well as a homecoming queen. A federal lawsuit was filed against the Cleveland School district on Friday. It alleges that the district, which merged East Side High School with Cleveland High School under a desegregation ordinance in 2017, denied James salutatorian because of the fear white flight. Lisa Ross, James’ attorney claims she missed the opportunity to go to Ole Miss because her name was not listed as salutatorian. Ross stated that if she had been named salutatorian, she would have been at Ole Miss. She was denied a scholarship due to the actions of the district. The lawsuit claims that James lost the opportunity to receive a scholarship because of what (the district) did. The suit claims that James was informed by school officials two weeks prior to graduation that her grade point average had been reduced. This was due to a reduction in the quality points she received from courses taken under the International Baccalaureate program at East Side High School. * James’ relatives, including her father and grandmother, met with school officials more than three times to find out why her quality points were incorrect on the grade scripts. School officials did not provide any explanation or resolution to the problem. * James was formally apologized to school officials and board members Jacqueline Thigpen (the superintendent who will be retiring in June) presented James with a revised grade script showing her cumulative weighted QPA (QPA). However, at the May 17, graduation, a white male student whose cumulative QPA of 4.34 was announced as her salutatorian. James learned that her QPA had dropped to 4.33 at the Cleveland school board meeting the next day. Her grandmother did not get an explanation from either Cleveland school leaders nor board members, according to the suit. Ross said that quality points are important because students who take advanced or accelerated courses earn more quality points than those who don’t. According to the district’s 2017-2018 student policy manual, 4 points are awarded for a student who earns an A in a regular course. 5 points go to a student in an advanced class. 6 points go to a student who gets an A in an accelerated class. You told them that they would get these points. Ross said that they had taken the classes and worked hard to get the grade. Then you tell them that this isn’t going to count or why.” Lucille Holmes, an East Side High counselor, said she isn’t aware of the happenings in the district. However, she noted that she was unaware of the confusion surrounding her grades. “Olecia came up to me after they changed the weights of her classes. Holmes stated that Holmes understood that if the weight was changed, it would affect the children currently taking the classes and the children entering the class. “I was Olecia’s counselor in the ninth and 10th grades. The students had the same classes. They also had advanced classes. They were together all day. “… I believe my children should get what is due to them.” The plaintiff seeks unspecified monetary damages, including legal fees; they also feel that James should be named salutatorian for her class. Another discrimination lawsuit. This is not the first instance of an African American Cleveland School District graduate claiming academic accolades were lost due to racial discrimination. Jasmine Shepard, an African American student from Cleveland School District, filed a lawsuit in June 2017 alleging she was forced to share her valedictorian award with a white student despite Shepard’s higher GPA. The claims were refuted by attorneys representing the district, who claimed that both students had identical GPAs, and that Cleveland School District had a non-discriminatory valedictorian program that was race neutral and applied in an racially neutral way. However, the original lawsuit stated that the GPA of the white student came in lower after school officials divided the total quality point totals by the semester credits. This case is currently pending and headed to trial. This suit was filed at a very turbulent time for the community. News of the desegregation orders was just emerging and plans for a consolidated high school were still in flux. National media poured into the town to write about white flight and forced deeds. Mississippi Today spent a year trying to get students’ opinions on the topic. They found that it was much more complex and nuanced than they had portrayed. Students at both schools were reluctant to merge because they felt that their family loyalty to the school was too strong. Many East Side students felt that their school’s culture and traditions were lost after the schools merged. This was not true for Cleveland High students. Overall, it was not a year that I enjoyed…. We were fine as a class, students, and as peers. The community could have stayed out of this more, I believe. James stated that if they had stayed out of it and allowed us to have our own traditions, the year could’ve been much smoother.” Others students welcomed the merger because they didn’t like being apart. Since 2013, the district’s white student population actually has been dropping by about 1 percent each year. It dropped by 3 percentage in 2017, the year of consolidation. The white population now makes up 23 percent of the school district’s 2013 student body, compared to 30 percent in 2013. Edward Duvall, a community member, stated that while the law may consolidate the school, it cannot change how you feel about a group. “We are one community. It’s not easy to live in two cultures. But we must work together to the best of our abilities. James stated that even though she didn’t graduate from East Side and she didn’t choose her first college choice, she is still making the best of what she has. She chose to study mass communication at Alcorn State University instead of Ole Miss’ law degree. With a 4.0 grade point average, she was Freshman of the Year, a Presidential Scholar, Sports Editor for The Campus Chronicle, and ROTC Cadet. She said, “I was sad, but at the moment it’s all about resilience and control over what you can influence.” “I had a lot of doors open for me… and I can’t WAIT to see what the future holds at Alcorn.” Editor’s Note: Lisa Ross, an attorney representing Olecia James is quoted as saying that James was granted a salutatorian scholarship to University of Mississippi. James decided not to pursue the scholarship after learning that she would finish at No. She was 3rd in her class, which made her ineligible for this scholarship. 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