TOPSHAM, Vt. (WCAX) – A Topsham student is suing her high school, saying she put in the hard work but was denied a coveted Green and Gold Scholarship full-scholarship to the University of Vermont.
According to the lawsuit filed in federal court, Abigail Emerson says she has proof she was top of her class, but the school is denying her the full ride to UVM.
“Abigail has been set on going to UVM. It’s her top choice school and has the programs that she really wants, and so this scholarship is a really big deal to her,” said Steve Coteus, a lawyer for the family.
Court paperwork states that according to Blue Mountain Union School’s rules, they nominate the student with the best GPA after their junior year for the Green and Gold Scholarship, which covers full in-state tuition.
“Abigail was the highest GPA in her class at the end of her junior year, and that was the sole criteria,” Coteus said. “She should have been awarded this scholarship and she was not.”
According to the lawsuit, the school fixed an error, increasing Emerson’s GPA and putting her in line for the award, but instead recommended the student with the second-best GPA.
“We dispute that there was any wrongdoing,” said Pietro Lynn, the lawyer representing the school and the district. He says he can’t comment on the specifics of the case, but disputes that GPA was the sole criteria. “We understand that there are allegations that have been made about mistakes and scholarships, we take that very seriously. What I can tell you Ike is that we have conducted a thorough investigation of the facts of this case.”
UVM awards the scholarship to the top student at every school in the state but allows each school to determine the criteria. University officials had no comment on the lawsuit.
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