- Aangad Singh, a Sikh high school student, was a finalist in the Presidential 1776 Award competition but was eliminated despite other contestants believing he had won.
- Singh's family suspects anti-Sikh bias due to his turban, as his correct answers were marked wrong, including a question about the 13th Amendment.
- The Department of Education refused to release final scores, citing proprietary information, and later stated judges' decisions are final and binding.
- The winners included white students from Michigan, Washington, and Wyoming, with one being used for culture-war propaganda, while Singh's family has not received responses to their inquiries.