High School Valedictorian Denied Diploma for Using "Hell" in Speech

[ReaPsTA]

Link

Kaitlin Nootbaar, a straight-A Oklahoma high school student, is being denied her diploma because she used the word "hell" in her graduation speech as valedictorian, and she and her parents are furious.

In delivering her address during the Prague High School graduation ceremony in May, the teen alluded to instances where people would ask her what she wanted to do with her life as graduation approached, to which she said, "How the hell do I know? I've changed my mind so many times," her father David Nootbaar told KFOR.

The statement received laughter and applause from her fellow graduates, her father said. But when Kaitlin went to collect her diploma this week, school officials said they won't release the certificate until she writes an apology for using the word.

The script for the speech, inspired by Eclipse: The Twilight Saga, includes the word "heck," but Kaitlin used "hell" in the moment. She says she doesn't intend to write the apology requested, as she earned the diploma through coursework, state exams and extracurriculars. The teen has also earned a full scholarship to college.

In a statement to KFOR, Superintendent Rick Martin said officials cannot publicly comment on the confidential matter.

"She has worked so hard to stay at the top of her class and this is not right," David Nootbar said.

A similar incident occurred in June when high school senior Anthony Cornist was denied his diploma because, school officials said, his friends and family cheered so loudly for him that it disrupted the ceremony.

"I did nothing wrong except walk across the stage," the Ohio teen told WCPO at the time.

The school demanded that the student complete 20 hours of community service to obtain the certificate.

Obviously this is wrong.  That's not interesting.

Why would anyone treat a high school graduation ceremony as something sacred?  I barely remember mine except for the part where (a) I walked in late and (b) was handed the frame for my diploma.  It's one of the least relevant moments of my life.  The mentality required to care about this baffles me.

Also, when you're dealing with the valedictorian of your school, you're clearly dealing with someone legitimately exceptional.  Success in high school doesn't necessarily equal success in life, but being the valedictorian certainly increases your odds.  Who are these "school officials" to deny her what she's rightfully earned?  Good on her for not apologizing and good on her parents for supporting her.  The lesson in having dignity will pay off later in life.

[bosk1]

Wait...so her name is actually Nootbaar?

[ReaPsTA]

Wait...so her name is actually Nootbaar?

Fortunately, she can take her husband's name when she gets married.

[black_biff_stadler]

I could literally get great pleasure from physically torturing anyone who's a big enough asshole to dare fuck with someone young enough to be their own kid over what is obviously personal vendettas in both of these cases. Shit like this is why I'll probably never buy a gun.

[theseoafs]

I was on the girl's side until I read the word "Twilight".

[Sigz]

Well, it's not everyday that you get to hear the stupidest thing you've ever heard.

[bosk1]

I was on the girl's side until I read the word "Twilight".

Fortunately, she can take her husband's love of action flicks (i.e. "good movies") when she gets married.

[Gadough]

Reminds me of a high school pep rally I went to. At some point, the quarterback said "let's have a hell of a time out there tonight!" The next day they made him apologize over the intercom. Everyone, teachers included, thought it was silly to make a big deal over it.

[Aefenwelg]

Wait...so her name is actually Nootbaar?

ha, I stopped reading when I got to her name and was going to post a joke about.

So, I'm very glad that the first reply turned out to be that.

[DebraKadabra]

A similar incident occurred in June when high school senior Anthony Cornist was denied his diploma because, school officials said, his friends and family cheered so loudly for him that it disrupted the ceremony.

"I did nothing wrong except walk across the stage," the Ohio teen told WCPO at the time.

The school demanded that the student complete 20 hours of community service to obtain the certificate.

While I applaud the gal's/her family's stance on this - the part I quoted is truly disturbing.  Denying someone a diploma because their family is proud of their graduate and being overly happy/enthusiastic is complete bullshit.

Do the diplomas no longer get handed out on stage?  That's how I got mine - no muss, no fuss.

[Big Hath]

Wait...so her name is actually Nootbaar?

Fortunately, she can take her husband's name when she gets married.

maybe his last name will be Hell

[rumborak]

How is this legal? They are an educational institution, they can't just reject people's diploma willy-nilly, right?

Fuck am I happy to be liberal. The worst that can come out of our corner is stuff like "guy likes trees too much, planted yet another today" and "woman stops driving car; air gets clean".

[Adami]

How is this legal? They are an educational institution, they can't just reject people's diploma willy-nilly, right?

Fuck am I happy to be liberal. The worst that can come out of our corner is stuff like "guy likes trees too much, planted yet another today" and "woman stops driving car; air gets clean".

I say we let the market figure it out. She can go to another competing highschool and do it again.

[Phoenix87x]

I always hated the nanny state mentality of high school. That treat you like a little baby up until graduation then kick you out into the real world naked, naive and immature and expect you to function as a responsible adult.

[Implode]

I hate going back to my high school for exactly that reason. I'm just reminded of how childish everything is. Especially the teachers. I swear, some teachers get infected by all the kids they have to teach year after year. They start acting like kids themselves and getting too protective of their power over students.

[bosk1]

then kick you out into the real world naked

Dude, your school was AWESOME!!! 

[pogoowner]

Do the diplomas no longer get handed out on stage?  That's how I got mine - no muss, no fuss.

They gave us dummy diplomas on stage. You picked up the real one after the ceremony.

[Implode]

Same here. My guess is that it's to prevent people going out on a blaze of glory after having the diploma in hand.

[DebraKadabra]

Do the diplomas no longer get handed out on stage?  That's how I got mine - no muss, no fuss.

They gave us dummy diplomas on stage. You picked up the real one after the ceremony.

Same here. My guess is that it's to prevent people going out on a blaze of glory after having the diploma in hand.

Damn, things sure have changed.

[bosk1]

Same here. My guess is that it's to prevent people going out on a blaze of glory after having the diploma in hand.

I get that, and it makes sense.  But this case doesn't.  I'm probably one of the most conservative people on this board when it comes to using language, and I don't see any sense whatsoever in the school holding her diploma. 

[DebraKadabra]

Same here. My guess is that it's to prevent people going out on a blaze of glory after having the diploma in hand.

I get that, and it makes sense.  But this case doesn't.  I'm probably one of the most conservative people on this board when it comes to using language, and I don't see any sense whatsoever in the school holding her diploma.

What about the other incident mentioned in Reap's link?

[bosk1]

I have a difficult time deciding which case is dumber.

[DebraKadabra]

I have a difficult time deciding which case is dumber.

I'm inclined to agree - wholeheartedly.

[Jaq]

Do the diplomas no longer get handed out on stage?  That's how I got mine - no muss, no fuss.

They gave us dummy diplomas on stage. You picked up the real one after the ceremony.

Yeah, I graduated a long time ago and until I turned in my robe and hat, I didn't get my diploma. My graduation was crazy fun-at practice, a guy tripped over the stage, so he went around asking for a collection for money to replicate it in the actual ceremony. He wound up with $200 and a diploma in the mail. These days they'd not give it to him. I was back in the peon section-you know, the people with ordinary grades-and we were throwing paper airplanes at each other during the speeches. People are just too fucking uptight these days.

[DebraKadabra]

I graduated from a small school - they must've done shit backwards, cause I got my diploma the same night I graduated.

[KevShmev]

Diploma or not, she still graduated, so there is no way I would apologize.  I doubt her college scholarship will be taken back because her high school decided to be dipwads about using the word 'hell.'

And it's astonishing that schools do not realize the damage they do to themselves by taking a stand over such a stupid thing.

[DebraKadabra]

The nanny state strikes again...

[rumborak]

The nanny state strikes again...

Damn you, anti-hell legislation!!

[Gadough]

To be honest, I didn't know hell was still considered a curse word. I thought it had passed into general acceptance by now. Like crap.

[Adami]

To be honest, I didn't know hell was still considered a curse word. I thought it had passed into general acceptance by now. Like crap.

Woah woah woah there, this is a nice place. Keep the potty mouth out of here!

[Gadough]

Sorry. My bad.



















you fuckwad

[rumborak]

What the fudge is going here. You are all going to heck with your fricking swear words. Darn it!

Jeepers.

[Gadough]

...ploppers!

[bosk1]

Just wanted to fly by and drop an f-bomb.



GADOUGH, DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU HAVE UNLEASHED?!

[Gadough]

I regret nothing!