Mo. girl shut out of national spelling bee on technicality

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Morgan Brown, a northwest Missouri seventh-grader, won a regional spelling bee two weeks ago and thought she was headed to the Scripps National Spelling Bee held in May in Washington, D.C.

But her family and school officials found out this week that a screwup in the paperwork registering her for the national contest has likely disqualified her.

"Everyone fully acted within the intent of the program," said Morgan's father, Jim Brown. "I'm very deeply saddened at this 13th-hour decision."

On March 8, Morgan was the top speller at a bee held in St. Joseph that included fifth- through eighth-graders in 15 northwest Missouri counties and Doniphan County in Kansas.

Afterward, an employee with her school district filled out an online form and listed mailing information corresponding to the North Platte Intermediate School, which Scripps recognized as the registered school.

Individual schools across the country have to register with the organization and pay a $99 fee.

The problem is that Morgan attends North Platte Junior High School, which wasn't registered, a fact school officials and the bee's organizers didn't know.

Scripps officials discovered the error Monday and told the spelling bee organizers that it was their responsibility to ensure their winner was eligible for the national bee.

"Our rules are such that there just isn't a way out of this," said Paige Kimble, the national bee's director. "North Platte Junior High School is not enrolled with the bee, and that's one of the eligibility requirements."

Kimble said her organization has had to send out similar letters to "a couple" other competitors.

North Platte Superintendent Francis Moran said his staff would "pursue it further" to get Morgan in the national bee and said legal action may be necessary.

Morgan's parents said Friday they were struggling with how to tell their daughter she likely won't be going to the national bee.

Her father said Morgan, who has had to adapt her learning skills to cope with a vision disorder, has dreamed of competing in the national spelling bee since she was 9 and now he faces a "heavy-heart situation."

"The first thing we have to do is try to explain to an innocent child how a legal interpretation of an [unclear] application has now disqualified her," Jim Brown said. "We will definitely make sure she understands that this is not a reflection on her efforts."