Amanda Lemon is a smart kid. So she wasn't too surprised when her high school invited her to join its chapter of the National Honor Society. With a 3.8 grade point average at Xenia High School in Ohio, she felt that she deserved to be one of the new inductees.

There's only one problem. Amanda Lemon is a teenage mother, and her invitation was immediately rescinded when the chapter's five-member faculty advisory council discovered she had a nine-month-old daughter. Xenia's national society chapter refuses admission to any student parent -- female or male.

The venerable seventy-seven year-old National Honor Society has over 14,000 high school chapters nationwide. Each chapter is allowed to establish its own admission standards, based on four categories: grade point average, leadership, character, and service.

A matter of character
Even if Amanda is a brilliant student at Xenia, it's her low character grade that counts. Pat Scanlan, spokesperson for the National Association of Secondary School Principals, said "If the child were seen as evidence the girl was engaged in sex behavior, that can be used as a gauge of her character." Now I get it. It's the "proof" of Amanda's "sex behavior" that got her banned. This isn't about banning teenage mothers or fathers -- it's about punishing teenagers who have sex.

A triumph of spirit
This ban is self-righteous and cruel. Amanda Lemon never intended to be a teenage mother. She made a mistake. But she didn't get an abortion, drop out of school, or go on welfare. She showed courage, and her family gave her unconditional support. This young woman's actions have brought her more honor than any national society could ever bestow. She has triumphed. Amanda has filed a grievance with the school, citing a violation of federal discrimination law. The school is reconsidering its policy. A spokesperson for the National Honor Society says it's backing Xenia's ban.

Maybe Xenia will find honor in Amanda's character. What we do in the face of adversity defines our character far more than an academic portfolio. Let Amanda in. She's earned it.