Special needs student can barely read after graduating from WA school with 3.87 GPA: lawsuit

A former Edmonds School District student with special needs has filed a lawsuit against the Washington state school district, alleging that after graduating high school with a 3.87 GPA, she was still at a first-grade reading level. She says that the school awarding her a diploma prevented her from accessing services to help students with disabilities prepare for independence.

Makena Simonsen told KING 5 News that after graduating from Lynnwood High School, “I was happy. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I finally made it!’” Simonsen graduated with a 3.87 GPA, despite finishing her senior year reading at what she said was a first-grade level. She said the academic challenges were significant and that she does not believe the school prepared her for life after graduation. “I should have earned that diploma, not just something that really got me nowhere.”

After graduating, Simonsen wanted to enroll in the Edmonds School District’s free vocational transition program, which helps eligible students with special needs move toward independent living and employment. However, because Simonsen had already received a diploma, she was no longer eligible. Instead, she had to enroll in a similar program at Bellevue College that costs over $40,000 per year.

Simonsen’s family filed a lawsuit against the Edmonds School District alleging what their attorneys call “benevolent discrimination.” They argue the district should have delayed awarding the diploma until she completed the vocational transition program. “By letting her kind of pass along, giving her these grades and then giving her this diploma, which shut the door on her transition services access, they actually caused her harm,” said attorney Lara Hruska of Seattle-based Cedar Law. “Her diploma was more of a participation trophy.”

Simonsen is now in her third year at Bellevue College and told the outlet she believes she is earning her grades, but she expects to graduate with $160,000 in student loan debt. Simonsen said, “I feel much better about my future now than I did when I was in high school. I’m passionate about it.”