Discrimination Is Discrimination

Kymberly Wimberley is a black teen mom who earned the highest GPA in her class at McGehee High School in Little Rock, Arkansas; but she wasn't allowed to be the valedictorian.

Going back to school a few short weeks after having a child Kymberly worked hard to achieve high grades in advanced placement classes and she achieved higher scores than any of her classmates.

According to an article in the Courthouse News Service and the court document itself, Wimberley's mother, Molly Bratton, who has filed a lawsuit on her daughter’s behalf, heard school personnel discussing that Kymberly’s valedictorian status might cause a "big mess."

The next day, high school Principal Darrell Thompson told the mother that he had decided to name a white student as "co-valedictorian," even though Wimberley had a higher GPA and a press release had already been sent out to the local paper naming her in the position.

Teen parents are routinely discriminated against and face significant institutional barriers to education. While teen mothers are often expected to fail, Kymberly Wimberley defied both the odds and the stereotypes. Unfortunately, Kymberly's case is not an isolated incident. She alleges the school has a pattern of academic discrimination against other black students, including discouraging them from taking advanced courses.

Whether Ms. Wimberley was discriminated against due to her being a teen mom or due to her being African American is not the issue. The mere fact that in 2011 a school would treat a student like this is barbaric. Please join me in calling Principal Thompson at (870) 222- 5026 to voice your opinion.