An unfortunate typo that left a young Jeopardy! contestant in tears is sparking cries of protests among the show's adult audience.

Kids Week contestant Thomas Hurley III, 12, of Newtown, Connecticut, wagered $3,000 out of his $9,600 take going into the show's Final Jeopardy! round.

The clue: "The Civil War." The answer: "Abraham Lincoln called this document which took effect in 1863, 'a fit and necessary war measure.'"

Thomas's response: "What is the Emanciptation Proclamation?"

"You misspelled it badly," host Alex Trebek chided Thomas, disqualifying his response per the judges' ruling.

"I was pretty upset that I was cheated out of the final `Jeopardy!' question," Thomas told the Danbury News-Times, recalling the taping, which took place back in February. "It was just a spelling error."

It ultimately wouldn't have mattered, since winner Skyler Hornback ended the day with a record-setting $66,600.

And Thomas still got to take home a cool $2,000 as the show's runner-up.

But many fans are still furious with the show for making a kid feel bad over a wayward "t."

"I will never watch Jeopardy again after today," said one of the scores of outraged fans who flooded the Jeopardy! Facebook page with angry comments. "The fact that they denied it was the last straw for me. Goodbye Jeopardy."

Jeopardy!, meanwhile, tried to cool things down with a statement explaining its decision.

"If Jeopardy! were to give credit for an incorrect response (however minor), the show would effectively penalize the other players," the show's producers wrote. "We love presenting young people as contestants on our show, and make every effort to be fair and consistent in their treatment."

Some, including Thomas's dad, believe Trebek himself still owes the boy an apology.

Calling the host "smug," Thomas Hurley II told CNN Trebek should have lightened up. "It's a kids' tournament!," he said. "Everyone knew what he meant."

[video via Uproxx]