Did Principal Pat Maddox and the Liberty School Board harass and discipline Alex Watson because of an eating disorder? Did their actions constitute a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act? The Luverne High School Mock Trial teams along with more than 2,000 Minnesota high school students will take on the roles of plaintiffs attorneys, defense attorneys and witnesses to argue these questions during the 2002 Minnesota Mock Trial Competition.
LHS team members are (first row, from left) Jamison Tooley, Julia Lovett, Kristi Oeding, Mary Carlson, Emma Reker and Danielle Cook. (Second row) Teacher coach Jim Sanden, Jennifer Lovett, Alisha Moeller, Kristin Miller, Danielle Deragisch and Jesson Vogt. (Third row) John Kreuch, Alison Ceynowa, Audra Novotny, Steven Althoff and Daniel Amborn. (Missing from the photo is Sadie Dietrich, Emily Brandel and Attorney coach Alex Miller.) The group brought a 1-1 record into Wednesday's competition in New Ulm.
Local and regional competitions are held in January and February, leading to the state tournament March 12 and 13. Teacher Coach Glenda Kuehl and Attorney Coach Terry Vajgrt will work with the Hills-Beaver Creek team. The Minnesota High School Mock Trial Competition is a citizenship education program sponsored by the Minnesota State Bar Association. More than 800 lawyers and judges statewide will volunteer this year. In addition to sponsoring the statewide competition, the Minnesota State Bar Association will host the 2002 National High School Mock Trial Championship in St. Paul on May 10 and 11.
Photo by Lori Ehde