Posted on 08/21/2012 7:51:43 AM PDT by servo1969
PRAGUE, Okla.– There’s a bit of diploma drama going on between a local high school and that school’s valedictorian.
David Nootbaar is furious his daughter’s school is keeping her diploma.
He said, “She has worked so hard to stay at the top of her class and this is not right.”
Kaitlin Nootbaar graduated from Prague High School, the Red Devils, in May and was named valedictorian.
When tasked with writing the graduation speech, her dad said she got her inspiration from the movie “Eclipse: The Twilight Saga.”
Nootbaar said, “Her quote was, ‘When she first started school she wanted to be a nurse, then a veterinarian and now that she was getting closer to graduation, people would ask her, what do you want to do and she said how the hell do I know? I’ve changed my mind so many times.’”
He said in the written script she gave to the school she wrote “heck,” but in the moment she said “hell” instead.
Nootbaar said the audience laughed, she finished her speech to warm applause and didn’t know there was a problem.
That was until she went to pick up the real certificate this week.
“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. Close the door; we have a problem,’” Nootbaar said.
He said the principal told Kaitlin she would have to write an apology letter before he would release the diploma.
A move her dad believes is illegal.
“She earned that diploma. She completed all the state curriculum. In four years she has never made a B. She got straight A’s and had a 4.0 the whole way through.”
Kaitlin starts college in a few days on a full scholarship, making the administrators’ decision even more appalling to her family.
We tried to get the school’s side of the story.
Superintendent Dr. Rick Martin said in a statement, “This matter is confidential and we cannot publicly say anything about it.”
Kaitlin doesn’t plan on writing an apology letter because she doesn’t feel she did anything wrong.
Her family supports that choice.
Kaitlin sent KFOR-TV this statement Monday afternoon:
“First off, I would like to thank everyone who is backing me on this, especially my friends and family. And to those who don’t agree with me, that is fine also. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and is free to comment however they choose. It’s one of the great advantages of living in a free country. A country where we are free to speak. I would also like to note that I do not hate Prague. I have loved that town since I was a child. I don’t hate the school either, the teachers have always been great! I don’t feel that the whole town should suffer from the mistakes of few. Again, thanks:)”
“the school administration appear to be vindictive fascist f*cks”
Nazis in the larval stage, just waiting for their chance to run everything in you life.
If she had used the “F” bomb, then I think she would need to apologize. But not for saying “hell.” That the school mascot is the Red Devil makes this more stupid. What’s the difference between “heck” and “hell”?
Just wondering where you draw the line?
What is the word or deed that you feel can't be done/ said at a graduation?
From me?
It appears as though she DID graduate, and I suppose she is in college, or qualified to apply to colleges. What she doesn’t have is the physical diploma. Does anyone who has been out of high for more than 5 years know where his/her diploma is? I haven’t seen mine for over 35 years, and would not know where to begin to look for it.
Vagina.
Heck.... it's a darn good thing she didn't use the word 'Jesus' or they would have burned her at the friggin' stake.
Had she said something like, "I owe my success to my faith in Jesus Christ," she would have been in far worse trouble.
My daughter graduated and went off to college. She thought she was all registered with her full scholarship taking care of her tuition and books. But when she looked at her status, she found a HOLD on her account. After many phone calls, she found that her HOLD was due to the university not having her official final transcript. It took several weeks for the HOLD to be lifted. If the registrar at her high school had been a pain, she would not have been able to stay in school. So a high school holding up an official diploma and a transcript can be a problem.
I think this principal made a mountain out of a mole hill, but I would probably advise my daughter to apologize and be done with it. Sand off the feet and all that.
The valedictorian at my daughter’s graduation gave her speech in Spanish while horns were blown in the stands and people talked and yelled the whole time. But if that principal wants to be upset over someone saying ‘hell’ instead of ‘heck,’ I guess there aren’t a lot of real problems in Prague, OK.
“True freedom can only exist within a framework of law, what you are supporting is anarchy.”
The law was never intended to be so intrusive as to force speeches to be submitted for approval. If a kid says something utterly outrageous, the answer is for the principal to follow and speak the truth, and expose their mistake. More speech is the answer, not stricter rules to ensure we never hear anything scary.
I didn’t almost get my ass shot off, just for you to live in a nice safe police state. I am not supporting anarchy. And if this girl’s speech makes you feel like you live in anarchy, then you probably deserve to be lead around by the nose by a guardian class who can approve everything for you. You need to take that Texas flag down, they had balls.
Government school employees are all bureaucrats, yet people are surprised when they act like bureaucrats.
“True freedom can only exist within a framework of law,”
War is peace,
Freedom is slavery,
Ignorance is strength.
Yes, you sound rather familiar. do you work for the ministry of truth?
lol
whatever. your idea of freedom and mine are completely at odds.
I believe in freedom of speech, but no one has the “right” to blare music outside my window at 4am at 1000 Decibels.
All freedoms are limited when they come in contact with others.
I have a right to live without others abusing me and my small children with a constant bombardment of pornography and profanities and I certainly support a schools decision to not let children run wild and do whatever they wish in the name of freedom.
All rights have limits.
The crime is that the kid who won valdictorian must submit their speech in advance so it can be censored to the tastes of the administration.
All power to the state! All because someone said hell. This is a joke.
#########
Spot on!!
But why expect any better from a government agency?
‘-)
Perhaps you can answer the question that Dessert rhino is so bent on ignoring. Just wondering where you draw the line?
What is the word or deed that you feel can't be done/ said at a graduation?
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