A Connecticut high school student reached the final eight of the Presidential 1776 Award competition but did not finish in the top three. The contest, launched by the Donald Trump administration for the nation’s 250th anniversary, focused on civic knowledge among high school participants. The student’s family believes his turban and Sikh background played a role in the result, according to Notus. Other finalists reportedly expected him to win. After the broadcast, the family noted that some accurate responses were scored as incorrect, including examples of federal court jurisdiction under Article 3 and identification of the Thirteenth Amendment as ending slavery. The winners came from Michigan, Washington and Wyoming. The family contacted the Department of Education for an explanation, but officials cited rules granting judges final authority over selections.
