2 families say their student at Spring charter school should be named valedictorian over GPA dispute

SPRING, Texas (KTRK) -- Nathan Olivarri, who was standing at the podium for graduation at Spring Legacy, The School for Sport Science, called himself valedictorian after a judge decided the honor was rightfully his.

The battle over the valedictorian title began in January, when court documents revealed that Olivarri was named top of the class, but that honor was short-lived.

Court records show that by February, the school announced that a junior had decided to graduate earlier and had taken the top spot, with legal paperwork from the school showing a thin margin between the two GPAs. Olivarri had a 4.4547, and the unnamed junior had a 4.6530.

The Olivarri family's lawyer argued in court filings that the junior made the decision too late in the year for the title to be transferred according to the student handbook and that the GPA was improperly calculated.

A judge agreed with the Olivarri family and ordered that Nathan be named valedictorian and allowed to give a speech at graduation.

"I am thankful to the courthouse for realizing who the true valedictorian is, and I'm thankful for my parents for always supporting me through everything," Nathan Olivarri said.

The school argues in its legal response that the junior wasn't the only student who chose to graduate early or change their class ranking, and that, by following state guidelines, GPAs were calculated and announced as they should have been.

The school even had an independent investigation completed and reviewed by its board, which both determined the school was right to name the junior valedictorian.

The Olivarri family thanked the judge for their ruling after graduation this past weekend.

"A lot of this could have been avoided, but it's the past; we're putting it behind us," Nathan's father, Vincent Olivarri, said.

In a statement from the school, they said their "unwavering focus has always been and will remain on honoring the dedication and hard work of every one of our students."

The school's founder told ABC13 the legal process is ongoing.