15 law school students told they passed bar exam, then told they didn't
And three students told that they failed actually passed.
Fifteen law students were notified that they had passed the Kentucky Remote Bar Examination -- and then were told, no, they actually had not.
A test-scoring error resulted in 18 applicants receiving incorrect information about their results, according to the Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions.
The 15 applicants told they had passed the exam, given Oct. 5-6, were told a few days later they hadn't, while three applicants who were told they didn't pass actually did.
"I want to apologize to every applicant affected by the incorrect Kentucky Bar Exam results that were issued by my office earlier this week. I know that no apology can undo the anguish and disappointment that these bar examinees and their families have endured. We sincerely regret this mistake, which was the result of a data entry error. The mistake was not discovered prior to results posting on Monday. Once we realized there was an issue, our priority was correcting the results and making any necessary adjustments. All affected applicants were personally notified yesterday, December 3, 2020, of their adjusted score and exam result," KYOBA executive director Valetta Browne, posted on the Kentucky Office of Bar Admissions website.
"To have come this far and get so close, literally close enough that I held in my hands a piece of paper that said I'd passed, and to be told, nope, sorry, that's not the case, it's a gut punch," Andrew Skomorowksy, one of the 15 erroneously told they'd passed the exam, told ABC Louisville affiliate WHAS.
Kentucky Rep. Jason Nemes said via Twitter there will be a hearing "to determine how it happened & what is being done to ensure it never happens again."
He added in another tweet: "Heads have to roll for this."
"We have requested for them to show up to a hearing in January to discuss the matter. I am not calling for any particular response at this point, but I am going to review any decisions to ensure that there is appropriate accountability for the mistake that was made," Nemes told ABC News via email.
No other applicants' "pass/fail status was affected" Browne told ABC News in an emailed statement. She said a procedure has been put in place to ensure the error doesn't happen again and that the students who were incorrectly notified will have their exam fees as well as software fees waived.
KYOBA's liaison to the Supreme Court has spoken to Rep. Nemes, Browne also said.
