High School Valedictorian Denied Diploma Over Graduation Speech

Originally posted by Annee
[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...

To my understanding, this "diploma" is usually given to person's that are homeschooled, youth that take college classes while in highschool (ie so they can "graduate early" or in addition to a GED (after completing said college/univerisity work).

Originally posted by hawkiye

Is it just me or do we have a huge over population of godamned politically correct control freaks who gravitate to positions of authority in our schools and elsewhere?

This is friggen ridiculous give her the damn diploma already! These idiots need to be taken down a notch big time! 4.0 grade average and they have a problem with her saying hell to the point of withholding her diploma... My God what have we come to with this idiocy.

These are the people teaching your kids folks wake up...

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

edit on 20-8-2012 by hawkiye because: (no reason given)

I guess we need to see what SKELETONS this fargin' icehole has in his closet and expose them. Perhaps then these idiots would think twice about their stupidity.

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)

Many of these administrative school personnel are from the old school days where they could actively use corporal punishment on students so now they have to assert there frustrations in more egregious ways since they are no longer permitted by law to beat the students with a paddle.

That's my 2 cents and it gives all teachers a bad rap in the end.

Originally posted by DaTroof
Oklahoma. God that state is going down the toilet.

The principal should be fired. Clearly he belongs at a church.

I kind of doubt that a religious person would feel offended by the word hell, more so since it is mentioned in the bible several times. Who would really get offended by that word are atheists, not religious, or spiritual people.

Originally posted by pwndnewb

Originally posted by Annee
[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...

To my understanding, this "diploma" is usually given to person's that are homeschooled, youth that take college classes while in highschool (ie so they can "graduate early" or in addition to a GED (after completing said college/univerisity work).

OH OK.

It wasn't quite clear.

We're I her father, after visiting the school and not getting satisfaction, the next stop would be my lawyer.

I have no doubt that the Principal is breaking the law, as I'm sure she fulfilled all of the requirements to get her diploma. As well, I very much doubt that it's NOT within his perview to hold it for ANY reason.

So, if the school, the town, AND the principal all want to be part of a law suit, continue on.

They should hand deliver her diploma, AND PUBLICALLY apologize to her.

reply to post by hawkiye


*sniff sniff" I smell lawsuit.

Not for money , but for her diploma and to shame the school. She completed her end of the bargain and her parents paid for her education. Either refund them, or give her her diploma.

Period.

Tried looking over the Faculty listing to see if the principals e-mail was listed, but it wasn't. The following is what she said during her speech.

In her speech, Nootbaar, 18, told the audience at Prague High School how she has changed her career choices more than once. "How the hell do I know? I've changed my mind so many times."

It goes on to say this as well..

Nootbaar’s father, David, has accused Prague principal David Smith of bullying her. "She became a senior and he constantly picked on her," Mr. Nootbaar said. "I thought bullying wasn't supposed to be allowed in school."

Also..

"The principle shut the door on us," he said, "and told us she [Kaitlin] will type apology letters to him, the school board, the superintendent and all of the teachers.”

All over hell being said? So, i guess you punish kids which caused no trouble at all , yet let the ones that are a nuisance by without a word. Nothing to back that up obviously , but it's too often " jocks " will get the preferred treatment and they turn the other way. All of which i quoted up above can be read here

Heres a petition for the removal of Rick Martin if you all wish to sign it.

www.gopetition.com...

Originally posted by gwm32683

Nootbaar’s father, David, has accused Prague principal David Smith of bullying her. "She became a senior and he constantly picked on her," Mr. Nootbaar said. "I thought bullying wasn't supposed to be allowed in school."

This sounds like an experience I had.

I had a teen foster child (she was my ex's step sister). She was incredibly beautiful and naturally stacked.

Her male counselor bullied her - - did everything he could to put her down. She had been living on the streets of Hollywood for 2 years - - and he had the nerve to tell her he was going to choose her electives - - because she was incapable of making her own decision.

UNTIL - - I stepped in.

After I was done - - she was personally counseled by the girls VP.

So these people have an issue with a student using 'hell' as a slang word, but they have no problem telling non cult-members that they're going to burn in the literal hell for eternity... Classic. The imbeciles that decided to withhold her diploma need to get their brain scanned.

Why does everything have to be cast into liberal and conservative terms? Can no one think for themselves anymore? These political systems represent the extremes of political thought. Divide and conquer anyone?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

People that have power love to wield it ...

and furthermore ...

those that seek power are almost always complete A$$ HOLES

just my 2 ...

Don't blame the liberals for this. The kind of speech liberals disapprove of is bigoted hate speech. I don't know anyone outside of my fundamentalist sister-in-law who would object to the word "hell," and even she uses it when she is telling other people where they will end up if they don't tow the line.

The article fails to give the principal's justification for his or her actions. I would like to know. That might help explain what, on the face of it, seems an outrageous and uncalled-for decision.

Originally posted by ElectricUniverse

Originally posted by DaTroof
Oklahoma. God that state is going down the toilet.

The principal should be fired. Clearly he belongs at a church.

I kind of doubt that a religious person would feel offended by the word hell, more so since it is mentioned in the bible several times. Who would really get offended by that word are atheists, not religious, or spiritual people.

Second time on here you have tried to turn this into an atheist agenda. If an atheist doesn't believe in hell why would they be offended by it? The absurdity of your statements rank right up there with the person claiming it was a liberal agenda. I am not an atheist but come on! Madness.

reply to post by Aim64C


The difference between now and then (When you or anyone in the younger generation has kids) is this:

The world is just now learning about Internet Backlash. I dont think things like this will be too much of a deal when all a parent has to do is say "Oh, OK, well.... I can't wait to post about this on reddit/4chan/tumblr/whatever else there may be." to strike fear in to the minds of the officials.

I don't think the objection to her speech was religious at all, but another over sensitive, PC, offend no one administrator. I can't see why "Hell" would offend anyone. Look at some old WWII morale posters. "Give 'em Hell," was plastered on the street for everyone to see in the 1940's and we were a much more religious nation back then. I think we have gotten a bit to sensitive for our own good.

If my diploma were withheld by the school over such a trivial matter, then I wouldn't want it at all. What good is a piece of paper from an organization represented by such pompous people? I would refuse my diploma and transfer my credits to another school immediately. Even if it meant another couple of months of studies.

And if that didn't work, apply directly to colleges and universities with a transcript of all completed course credits. Being in Canada I'm not quite sure how such things would work in the United States, but there are undoubtedly other avenues to go through in order to complete or circumvent a high school diploma.

Young people today don't realize they have other options on the table rather than just what the authority figures in question lay infront of them for whatever reasons. Once you learn to start thinking outside of the box, many more avenues of choice become available.

Hell isn't a swear or a curse unless you say "burn in hell" "go to hell" etc etc... Even then, this is the public school system where religion shouldn't exist as part of the curriculum. The principal should burn in hell. lool

Originally posted by TXRabbit

Originally posted by hawkiye

Is it just me or do we have a huge over population of godamned politically correct control freaks who gravitate to positions of authority in our schools and elsewhere?

This is friggen ridiculous give her the damn diploma already! These idiots need to be taken down a notch big time! 4.0 grade average and they have a problem with her saying hell to the point of withholding her diploma... My God what have we come to with this idiocy.

These are the people teaching your kids folks wake up...

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

edit on 20-8-2012 by hawkiye because: (no reason given)

There's an old saying (I'm just passing along) that goes "Those who CAN do, do and those that can't..Teach"

Not sure I agree with it but I have seen a few examples

The saying is true, and this is a perfect example of it. The only problem is the wording is off.
Those who can, do. Those who can't, administrate.

Teaching is actually very difficult and takes a lot of skill, this is not a teacher, this is an administrator demanding the apology.