High School Valedictorian Denied Diploma Over Graduation Speech

Yeah, those damn 4.0 valedictorians always looking for trouble at high school graduations. Diploma withheld? She should be going to prison. She promised she would say heck but instead said hell, if I was in charge that would be worthy of the death penalty, and the stockade for anyone who disagreed with my ruling.

IF that is the worst those students heard, they had a good life.

kfor.com...

PRAGUE, Okla. — The fight continues for an Oklahoma valedictorian who is being denied her diploma because she used the word “hell” in her graduation speech.

Her high school principal told her she couldn’t get her diploma until she wrote a letter of apology to the school board.

The story has now gone national with comments pouring in from all over about the district, ironically with the red devil for a mascot, upset over the use of the word “hell.”

Kaitlin Nootbaar said she’s been overwhelmed with support, getting calls from as far away as Italy.

“That four-letter word is what got me in trouble,” Nootbaar said.

She’s settling into her freshman dorm at Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

“I did not think it would get that big at all,” she said.

Nootbaar said she used the word in her speech in the context of people asking her what she wants to be.

“You know they’re going to ask us what we want to be and we’re going to say, ‘Who the hell knows,’ and that’s it,” Nootbaar said.

The above link has a video report along with written story. It also has a statement by Rick Martin regarding this situation.

Back some years ago, I was one of the student speakers for my classes graduation. Every one who had a speaking role had to submit a draft of what they were going to say. We were cautioned not to stray from that draft.

In my personal opinion, this shouldn't have been made a big deal by the administration of the school.

Suits could cost a substantial amount to the School and County tax payers.............. all over stubbornness.

reply to post by Plotus


I don't know any school board that would risk spending thousands of dollars to fight such a petty case. The taxpayers should be appalled by the actions of this principal. I can understand the principal calling her into his office and telling her she could have chosen a better choice of words. Instead, I think her 4.0 grade point average should be commended. What's this principal have to gain by this? She's going on to bigger and better things. I'm sure once this blows over, everyone will look back at this and have a good laugh over it.

To add another layer of absurdity, if you check out the Prague High School website, you find:

PRAGUE HIGH SCHOOL

HOME OF THE RED DEVILS

But don't you dare say the word "hell"

How did that happen?

At first I was like dafak prague?Stuff like this happens only in America. But then I read it was the schools name in Oklahoma.

Originally posted by hawkiye

High School Valedictorian Denied Diploma Over Graduation Speech

news.yahoo.com

An Oklahoma high school valedictorian who used the word "hell" in her graduation speech in May has yet to receive her diploma.
Kaitlin Nootbaar graduated from Prague High School with a 4.0 grade point average, her father, David Nootbaar, told KFOR-TV. But school administrators told him that Kaitlin would have to submit a written apology in order to get her diploma.
"We went to the office and asked for the diploma and the principal said, 'Your diploma is right here but you're not getting it....

(visit the link for the full news article)

So much for this law-abiding model citizens constitutional right to free speech.

...and dont even give me that "obscenity" nonsense either. The word "hell" is considered suitable for all major broadcast and print media, church, and even children's programming.

As far as I'm concerned this principal is directly subverting the United States Constitution and thus ought to be considered a terrorist...with all that it implies.

Originally posted by aCurious1
To add another layer of absurdity, if you check out the Prague High School website, you find:

PRAGUE HIGH SCHOOL

HOME OF THE RED DEVILS

But don't you dare say the word "hell"

Oh for f^cks sake...incredible. Absolutely incredible. I hope the next valedictorian calls that principal a g_ddamn c^^ksucker just to see what happens.

Originally posted by OMsk3ptic
Yeah, those damn 4.0 valedictorians always looking for trouble at high school graduations. Diploma withheld? She should be going to prison. She promised she would say heck but instead said hell, if I was in charge that would be worthy of the death penalty, and the stockade for anyone who disagreed with my ruling.

burn the witch! burn the witch!

reply to post by hawkiye


I don't "use language" :-) Really, I feel like what comes out of my mouth is important.
Yet I use the word Hell as it is not a swear word, and I use the word Dam and any other word used in it's legit sense such as a female dog is a bitch.

Her context is a little off "how the Fiery underground place do I know! But seems acceptable even to me!

Originally posted by hawkiye

High School Valedictorian Denied Diploma Over Graduation Speech

news.yahoo.com

An Oklahoma high school valedictorian who used the word "hell" in her graduation speech in May has yet to receive her diploma.
Kaitlin Nootbaar graduated from Prague High School with a 4.0 grade point average, her father, David Nootbaar, told KFOR-TV. But school administrators told him that Kaitlin would have to submit a written apology in order to get her diploma.
"We went to the office and asked for the diploma and the principal said, 'Your diploma is right here but you're not getting it....

(visit the link for the full news article)

Oklahoma.....enough said...

The south is not smart.....that is a fact...not all of them....but a greater % of them are.

Please sue your district for trampling the first amendment. The nomenclature chosen shan't be oppressed.

The question I have is can they legally do this? If not this girl had better get a lawyer and sue. When she wins a large sum of money she can take the high road and say "I don't your money. But I do want a public apology"

reply to post by Domo1


Lol the ironic part is even in the most uptight religious institution it would be even more likely to hear the word hell

Originally posted by subfab
reply to post by hawkiye

 

there are rules in place regarding speeches given at high school graduations. any person giving a speech needs to follow the rules. she will graduate but not receive her diploma. the girl had to know the outcome would be if she "tested the limits" of the system she was attending school in.

the student broke the rules. she was disciplined according to the rules. nothing more nothing less.

the rules have been in place for a long time. if there was a problem with the speech rules, why wait until now to address it?

this kid looked for trouble and found it.



-subfab

Wow just wow... This is Petty BS nothing more!

Maybe it was just a slip of the tongue and that is how she really speaks. Maybe she fully intended to say heck but only because politically correct idiots might get offended but hell just came out because she was more focused on speaking to her class as valedictorian instead of worrying about petty BS like this.

It is people like you that make me continue to not have faith in the majority of humanity ever stopping peeing their own bed... Sigh!

Originally posted by ozarkdiver
The question I have is can they legally do this? If not this girl had better get a lawyer and sue. When she wins a large sum of money she can take the high road and say "I don't your money. But I do want a public apology"

I don't think so. I don't think they can legally deny what she earned.

But apparently the state can issue a diploma.

High School Diplomas Issued by the State Department of Education

Any Oklahoma Resident who has been admitted to any accredited Oklahoma college or university may be awarded a high school diploma by the State Department of Education within this state, provided that such person has successfully completed at least thirty (30) hours of college work at an accredited college or university. Title 70 O.S. § 24-116 ok.gov...

reply to post by hawkiye


I believe i'd be taking myself to the State Attourney over this issue. This seems like a violation of her civil rights and freedom of speech. if we're at the stage where thought police and speech police are being trained and hired, then that's a good sign certain people in government need to be fired.

Originally posted by lonewolf19792000
reply to post by hawkiye

 

I believe i'd be taking myself to the State Attourney over this issue. This seems like a violation of her civil rights and freedom of speech. if we're at the stage where thought police and speech police are being trained and hired, then that's a good sign certain people in government need to be fired.

She turned in a draft of her speech.

Did she sign anything - - stating she could not deviate from it?

I think they're being ridiculous - - - but still - - did she knowingly or intentionally do something she agreed not to?

reply to post by hawkiye


what's wrong with the school having rules of etiquette?
the student knew why the speech had to be reviewed before the day of the graduation. the student knew what would happen if the rules were broken.

if the student wants to make a difference in her school. then she should get involved and work to make changes to the rules that dictate what is allowed and isn't allowed in speeches.

breaking the rules may bring the problem to light but doesn't change anything. working with the school board will go a lot further than using a curse word during a speech.

-subfab