'Jeopardy' Contestant Says He Was 'Cheated' Out of Winnings (VIDEO)
"Jeopardy" contestant Thomas Hurley III lost $3,000 for misspelling the word "emancipation" during Final Jeopardy. His loss caused outrage among fans of the show, who argued that the 12-year-old should not have been penalized.
"I was pretty upset that I was cheated out of the final 'Jeopardy' question," Hurley told the News-Times. "It was just a spelling error."
The Final Jeopardy clue concerned an 1863 document that Abraham Lincoln deemed "a fit and necessary war measure." The correct answer was the Emancipation Proclamation. However, Hurley spelled the word "emancipation" with an extra "t."
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Host Alex Trebek read the answer correctly but then said that Hurley's response had been ruled against by the "Jeopardy" panel because it was so "badly misspelled." Hurley lost the $3,000 he wagered during the round, and viewers immediately flocked to the Internet to argue in favor of Hurley and against the show and Trebek.
"The thing that bothered me most was the way Alex Trebek and the producers treated my son," Hurley's father told CNN. "They were kind of smug. It's a kid's tournament! Everyone knew what he meant." However, "Jeopardy" producers were adamant that they made the right call and treated Hurley the same as any other player.
"If 'Jeopardy!' were to give credit for an incorrect response (however minor), the show would effectively penalize the other players. We love presenting young people as contestants on our show, and make every effort to be fair and consistent in their treatment," a statement from producers said.
Even though Hurley technically got the answer right, he still would not have had enough winnings to beat champion Skyler Hornback, who amassed a winning of $66,600. He set a new record for the kids' tournament with his prize money. Hurley did take home $2,000 for coming in second, but his family maintains that the treatment he received was not worth the alleged humiliation.
"He was almost in tears," Hurley's father said. "He had to relive it on Wednesday," since the show was filmed in February but aired just last week.
Watch the show's ending HERE:
