Valedictorian denied diploma after using the wrong word.

[powderman]

Oklahoma high school valedictorian reportedly denied diploma over one word in speech  Published August 20, 2012
FoxNews.com    An Oklahoma high school valedictorian was reportedly denied her diploma after using an offensive word in her graduation address.
Kaitlin Nootbaar, a 2012 graduate of Prague High School, used the word "hell" instead of "heck" during her commencement speech, prompting school officials to later withhold her diploma until she issued an apology, Fox4KC.com reported.
"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,'" the girl's father, David Nootbaar, told the station.
Nootbaar said in the written script his daughter gave to the school she wrote "heck," but said "hell" during the speech, according to the station.
Katilin's speech was met with a warm reception by audience members, her father said. But when the teenager went to pick up her official diploma, the principal told her she would have to submit a written apology before she could receive it.
"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 told the station.
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[Stillkickin]

..........but, if she had spent her high school years slutting around and gotten pregnant and somehow still managed to pass all her courses while somebody else (maybe at taxpayer expense) took care of her offspring, she would have been revered and given an award for overcoming adversity.  That is the state of American education today.

[SHOOTALL]

she should go to court and let the school show cause and the judge can determine if they are justifyed in requesting a letter of apl........
 

[Ex 49'er]

The girl was a straight "A" student all through high school and is starting college in a couple of weeks with a full scholarship. She earned that diploma! This really bites!!

[magooch]

I think the young lady should apologize and it should go something like--"In my speech, I could have responded with 'How the freaking crap do I know what I'm going to be.'  But I didn't and for that I apologize."

[Conan The Librarian]

Adolescent poor judgement combined with school administration hysterical overreaction yields results like this every time. There are far crazier stories than this out there. Yes, it was wrong to use a swear word in a speech like that and it did show very poor judgement. A normal adult would have had a word with her about it afterward, but the typical school admin has to have a hysterical overreaction to every little thing.

[SHOOTALL]

I don't see it as wrong to use it in her speech. I dare say she heard teachers and adm. use it or worst in 12 years of school. If it is allowed on TV and radio etc why should she be singled out ?
It total BS. IMHO !

[Conan The Librarian]

Kids need to be taught that there are higher standards. My kids have heard plenty of swear words, but none in our house, as swearing is simply not permitted. It used to be shocking and worthy of censorship to use the word "hell" in movies. Then some plays on words were permitted, like the comedic name "Helen Blazes", or for dramatic effect like "War is hell!". Now we practically have F S GD MF etc in the daily weather report. Just because adults use it doesn't mean it should be used. It always reflects badly on the speaker, and it makes them seem stupid. Over-reacting as the school admin did makes them look even stupider. By out-stupiding the kid, maybe they were trying to protect her, eh?

[SHOOTALL]

or just a bit of humor but it seems some have their moral hat on so tight they can't see it.

[BBF]

IMO the school should be thankful that she didn't drop the "F" bomb in her speech.

[KIMBER45]

Kinda sounds like a muslim country doesn't it.This is what happens when ultra conservatives have certain powers. Expect to see alot more of this if this far right wave continues.

[guzzijohn]

Quote from Kimber45:
"Kinda sounds like a muslim country doesn't it.This is what happens when ultra conservatives have certain powers. Expect to see alot more of this if this far right wave continues."


+1
GuzziJohn

[Land_Owner]

It is a non-issue and much to do about nothing.  Straight "A" student.  Apolgize.  Get the diploma.  It is not what you know it is who you know.  She might need that Administration for something in the near-term future.  No need to burn bridges over such a trivial thing as this.

[magooch]

Kinda sounds like a muslim country doesn't it.This is what happens when ultra conservatives have certain powers. Expect to see alot more of this if this far right wave continues.

What far right wave?

[Old Fart]

I actually know this girl. Her dad was a student of mine years ago. She's about as fine a young lady as you can find in today's high school. Slip of the tongue.
As for me she can blow the diploma off. She has a scholarship to a good college and will be starting any day now. They'll send her the diploma soon anyway.
 

[Conan The Librarian]

Magooch:
 
The far right wave is a rhetorical device used by people whose politics are very far to the left. The talking points include:
1) The mainstream media is extremely far to the right (bear with me, I'm not joking. I'm just reporting here.)
2) News outlets like national public radio are a haven from this extremism
3) In other words, the same argument used by the right, but in reverse and without many facts to back it up.
 
Interestingly thing in the news today, though, is that Amazon tracks sales of books on political topics, and right-leaning books outsell left-leaning books in all but seven states. This has nothing to do with a movement. It has to do with the sentiments of people who are inclined to read.
 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2191975/Heat-maps-Americas-political-book-buying-preferences.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

[SHOOTALL]

It might be interesting to know if there were complaints or just some adminstrator wh had a beef with the girl. Jesosy most likely !