Queens student only wanted to fail

Melissa Mejia's public acknowledgment of a grade-changing scandal at William Cullen Bryant High School has shaken the New York City education system.

In a candid article she wrote for the NY Post, she admitted that she wanted to fail a class at her high school and didn't deserve to graduate.

However, her teacher gave her a passing score allowing her to graduate.
 
The state Department of Education has appointed a special task force to look into the issue.
 
At Bryant High School, in Long Island City, Teacher Peter Maliarakis and Former Parent Association President Gus Prentzas spoke about this issue and explained that it has been going on for a long time.

“It stems from the State and trickles down all the way to the schools,” Maliarakis said.

Maliarakis added that Principal Namita Dwarka has “henchmen chasing down teachers to improve their graduation rate.”

Also, according to Maliarakis, the grade-changing dates to 2013, and he has a lawsuit against the school after he was retaliated against for reporting it.

Prentzas said he’s asking that the U.S. Attorney General’s Office and FBI step in and investigate how federal dollars are not giving our children the quality education they deserve.

New York City students can thank Melissa for bringing light to this issue, but it looks like the problem is deeper than just one grade change.