Nevada Woman Threatening to Sue Over Spelling Bee


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A Reno, Nevada girl spelled it right, but a Spelling Bee judge got it wrong.

Now her mother is threatening to sue.

Eighth grader Sara Beckman came in third place for her district spelling bee yesterday.

She spelled the word "discernible" A judge said the word ended with "a-b-l-e" and disqualified her.

Sara Beckman, Spelling Bee Participant: "I was pretty sure that I had it right, because ‘a-b-l-e' didn't sound right.. But you know, I could have been wrong, so I wasn't absolutely sure."

The girl's mother confirmed the spelling and tried to protest.

The judge admitted he made a mistake, but said the contest was over.

So the mother wants to sue for a spell off. She says her daughter missed the possibility for a state championship and scholarship money.

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