“It’s frustrating that receiving this high school diploma actually closed doors for Makena instead of opening them,’ the woman’s attorney told PEOPLE
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- Makena Simonsen, a high school graduate in Washington, claims she graduated with a 3.87 GPA despite finishing her senior year at a first-grade reading level
- Simonsen and her family have filed a lawsuit against the Edmonds School District for “educational malpractice” and “benevolent discrimination”
- In the complaint, her attorneys argue that the school district denied her an “opportunity to graduate with a meaningful diploma,” leaving her unprepared for “postsecondary education, gainful employment, or citizenship”
A high school graduate in Washington is suing her former school district, claiming it awarded her a “meaningless” diploma.
Makena Simonsen, who attended Lynwood High School in Bothell, recalled celebrating a graduation day full of promise. “I was happy. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I finally made it!’ ” she told local outlet KING 5 News.
However, her sense of excitement quickly faded, she said. Simonsen, who has an intellectual disability and has been enrolled in special education programs since elementary school, graduated in June 2022 with a 3.87 GPA despite ending her senior year reading at a first-grade level…