The DeKalb County School System is investigating whether proper procedure was followed when the daughter of a prominent pastor was nearly allowed to graduate from high school this spring without the necessary credits.
Rodney Jenkins, a spokesman for the system who described the investigation as "ongoing," declined to identify the student.
But someone familiar with the investigation but not authorized to identify the student told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the student was the daughter of Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. Channel 2 Action News, the AJC’s reporting partner, cited others in identifying the student as Long’s daughter.
Jenkins said on the last day of school interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson received an anonymous tip that a student who did not meet all the requirements marched during earlier graduation services at Arabia Mountain High School. The tip was incorrect because the student did not march and lacked a credit to graduate, he said. Tyson asked the state Board of Education to examine the student's transcript and the class in question to see whether it met the curriculum standard. It did not.
"We were more concerned about our processes and making sure that all the processes were followed correctly," Jenkins said.
The student later went to summer school and has since been awarded a diploma, he said.
A spokesman for the Long family issued a statement but did not confirm that Long's daughter was involved.
“We are proud of our daughter who fulfilled her graduation requirements and has enrolled into an institution of higher learning to continue her education," it said.
School board Chairman Tom Bowen said he was told that the student had some course work that did not meet state guidelines and she did not walk with the rest of the class. "It's the normal outcome for any student who didn't meet the requirements," he said.
He said he did not think anything improper occurred.
"Does that happen to every single student? No, but I don't want this to appear to be an isolated incident. ... Unfortunately, this puts a family on hold, but it does happen."
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