St. John's Father Says Daughter Will Be Salutatorian

Sarah St. John will be Malverne's salutatorian, according to her father.

Nicholas St. John said his daughter does not wish to share the valedictorian role with her classmate Aalique Graham, who was found to be ranked slightly higher than her after the district recalculated the students' grades this week.

The Malverne School District when they bestowed the valedictorian title to St. John in March, because they failed to factor in the second quarter of the students' senior year. 

With the addition of these grades, the district discovered that Grahame had finished first, St. John second, but suggested the two share the role of valedictorian.

The news shook the school district, as of discrimination and policy violations were made, debates ensued, legal counsel was contacted and hateful messages were sent to one of the students via social media.

his displeasure over having to share the honor he worked so hard to achieve and his aunt pledged to continue to pressure the school district.

"This whole thing is ridiculous," Nicholas St. John said. "It’s been blown completely out of proportion."

St. John said during a meeting with administrators Tuesday night - before the story even broke - his daughter suggested that the valedictorian title should be solely awarded to Grahame. The district seemed committed to its decision of having the students share the title though.

"I told them I trump them. I'm her father," he said.

To further complicate matters, the district also then promoted the third ranked student - Xavier Bernard - to the salutatorian spot. Still, St. John said that doesn't matter to Sarah, who will be attending Molly College's Honors Program in the fall with a $14,000 per year scholarship to major in music therapy.

"My daughter has no problem being co-salutatorian," he said.