New Jersey Grade Tampering Case

(Fort Lee, New Jersey) A 61-year-old guidance counselor at Fort Lee High School, Judith Meller, has been accused of tampering with the transcripts of six students.

In March, district officials revealed that grades for at least six high school seniors had been changed on their transcripts without their knowledge. The tampering had reportedly gone on for at least six years.

The state Department of Education, which completed a probe into the case, concluded that guidance counselor Judith Meller altered the grades or had someone else do it.

The school's superintendent received a letter from the agency Tuesday, explaining the conclusions of the investigation.

"The completed investigation confirmed that the school's official academic records at all times accurately reflected student grades," the letter said. But "the investigation also confirmed that a high school guidance counselor, after being directed not to modify college admission records, did alter or direct others to do so," the letter said.

Interestingly, no motivation for the alleged grade-tampering has been reported.

I would suggest that Meller may be among the population of progressive academics who believe that grades are inherently unfair to students and she improved the records of those she particularly liked.