High School Valedictorian Denied Diploma After Saying "Hell" in Speech

[Jeffhog]

The local high school in Prague, Okla., is withholding its valedictorian’s diploma because of a certain four-letter word uttered after she had graduated. Prague High School doesn’t plan to release straight-A student Kaitlin Nootbaar’s official record until she apologizes for using the word "hell" in her valedictory address. This might not be a surprise in the rural Oklahoma community, but it is odd considering the school mascot appears to be a young Lucifer himself.

Kaitlin’s father David told KFOR in Oklahoma City, “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 the line was inspired by the movie "Eclipse: The Twilight Saga," and that when Kaitlin submitted her speech to school officials, she used the word ‘heck’ but slipped in the actual speech.

“She was addressing her audience,” said Kaitlin’s mother, Candy Case. In an effort to connect with fellow classmates, Kaitlin referenced several popular movies including the offending "Twilight" scene and "The Hunger Games."

According to Kaitlin's dad, the audience laughed along with the joke. Case says the family has received no complaints about the speech since graduation took place in May. However, when the diploma did not arrive in the mail, Nootbaar and his daughter went to pick it up, and the principal said she would have to write a letter of apology in order to get it. With the support of her parents, Kaitlin refused on the grounds she did nothing wrong.

Of course, we’re only getting one side of this story. There is no way to know what kind of communication preceded the speech, and what codes the district has in place. The only mention of profanity in the district handbook refers to in school detention, where profanity—along with sleeping and arguing with the teacher—is strictly prohibited. Although media types agree on far more than

you can’t say on television, "hell" is not necessarily among them. Except this is the Bible Belt. Maybe the district has adopted the stricter Parent’s Television Council’s recommendations, which does include "hell," along with "damn," "crap," and "suck."

No one from the Prague, Oklahoma School District was available for comment Monday, and the office would not issue an official statement. Superintendent Dr. Rick Martin told KFOR on Saturday, “This matter is confidential and we cannot publicly say anything about it.”

There is already a call to “Free Kaitlin’s Diploma” on Facebook.

Ordinarily, I’d be all over this kind of stand-up-for-your-rights stance. Stick it to the man, and all that. But here’s the thing. You conjured Hell in front of God and everyone in a tiny Oklahoma town. (Population of Prague, Oklahoma: 2,378) The keepers of the community are offended. What did you expect? Even if the school is completely in the wrong, why not take this opportunity to apologize gracefully?

Apologies are not always about right and wrong; They are often about manners. An apology is expected, so offer one. This is not about free speech or gay rights or access to healthcare. If ‘hell’ was truly a slip of the tongue, apologize. If ‘hell’ was an ill-conceived rebellion or ploy for attention, apologize. Either way, if Kaitlin were my daughter, I’d counsel her to write the letter and be done with it. It’s called picking your battles.

Kaitlin’s mother does not agree. Manners aside, it’s hard to argue with Case, who believes the school administration is behaving no better than a schoolyard bully. “I fully stand by my daughter’s decision,” she said. “You want your children to learn to stand up for what they believe in.”

Oh, and Prague, if ‘hell’ is so offensive, you might want to reconsider that mascot.

Source

Thanks to Bobbyjosh for bringing this up.

Any thoughts on this what-the-fuckery?

just the thing i needed to read before going to bed. nice, world.

[Soniman]

Because she doesnt have 100% polite manners she is denied the diploma that she strived 4 years to obtain? All of that hard work down the shitter because of uttering a very mild curse word?

What in the flying fuck are they thinking?

[Linkabel]

Source

Thanks to Bobbyjosh for bringing this up.

Any thoughts on this what-the-fuckery?

just the thing i needed to read before going to bed. nice, world.

Wow this must really suck for her....also I'm curious to see their mascot because the link is broken =O

[Jeffhog]

WELL, HERE IT IS, PRAGUE HIGH'S MASCOT: THE RED DEVIL.

And they deny a graduate her diploma over the world "Hell".

YES, THAT MAKES TOTAL SENSE.

[Eternal EX]

<-- the student's reaction.

I seriously don't wanna live on this planet anymore.

Edited August 22, 2012 by Eternal X

[KHCast]

Damn. Seriously people? It's apparently oh so bad that she said Hell? There are A LOT of things I can think of that would be more justified than Hell of all things. This place be crazy. And the fact that your mascot is a devil, you put yourself in a situation that is not going to make yourself look good....

Edited August 22, 2012 by Hedgehogs Boost

[Wraith]

God, I hate the crazy ass Christians. Nothing against normal Christians. People believe what they want to believe. It's when people shove their beliefs down other's throats that I get pissed off,

Edited August 22, 2012 by Waterwraith

[-Robin-]

This is probably the only time I am ever going to have personal feelings and connections on a topic such as this. Having graduated from this very school 4 years ago, it's just such an incredibly cnbkjdsvnfjlsj feeling.

I met principal Smith. I made friends with Smith. He's honestly a decent guy. And I owe him a TON for bending over backwards in order to set up the one-man swim team for me in my senior year; I'm pretty sure my name is somewhere in the school athletic hall of fame there.

Still, I recognize that Smith is in the wrong here, and I hope he, and the superintendent, reverses his position soon.

This debacle is going to be covered on the Today Show tomorrow morning. May as well watch it, I suppose.

Edited August 22, 2012 by Bobbyjosh

[Kiah]

I didn't need to see this before going to bed either.

This is stupid. All that hard work that she did for 4 years to get her diploma, let alone to be Valedictorian, ends up being negated due to her saying a mild cuss word?! Makes no sense at all. By all means she earned both her diploma and her Valedictorian status, and by no means should it be taken away from her due to saying a four letter word deemed inappropiate. It is a very severe and unfair punishment, I say.

This debacle is going to be covered on the Today Show tomorrow morning. May as well watch it, I suppose.

Good. I hope some public exposure will help rectify this ridiculous action this school took against Kaitlin.

[KHCast]

As religious as I am, I'm not afraid to say RELIGION CAN SERIOUSLY RUIN THINGS SOMETIMES! It honestly gets in the way of so much. and not in the good way.

That aside I still am dumbfound as to how they thought it was worth taking her 4 years of hard work and shoving it down the crapper. I mean at least BYU doesn't kick you out of their school or do any punishments for drinking coffee or swearing. and they are WAYYY more religious based then tis place. That's called not forcing your beliefs.

Edited August 22, 2012 by Hedgehogs Boost

[Linkabel]

Ooooh so that's the mascot.....well, well, well I don't really see how they are going to defend themselves since their mascot is a devil. I usually don't complain about schools and how they run things but somehow I always noticed that every school administration have to pick something that they blow out of proportion.

Oh well with public outcry against them I'm sure they will give her the diploma soon.

[Speederino]

...Hell? They're getting worked up over THAT? Man, I wonder what they do to kids who say fuck or shit. It must be painful.

[-Robin-]

To be clear, holding her diploma and her records is absolutely against the law. If this is taken to court, Kaitlin will definitely win.

And then Smith and the superintendent will lose their jobs.

Either way, Prague's reputation is completely gone, which saddens me severely.

[Remy]

WELL, HERE IT IS, PRAGUE HIGH'S MASCOT: THE RED DEVIL.

And they deny a graduate her diploma over the world "Hell".

YES, THAT MAKES TOTAL SENSE.

They punish this poor girl for uttering, and thus conjuring hell itself when yet, at the same time they take LUCIFER HIMSELF as their IDOL. A mascot, someone to cheer for, or perhaps worship!

SINNERS! HEATHENS! HYPOOOOOOOOOOOCRITES! DAMN THEM ALL TO THE ABYSS

[Jeffhog]

Prague's reputation is completely gone, which saddens me severely.

Yeah.. Sorry to hear about all of that going down in your community too, dude. Can't say I wouldn't feel the same in your position.

[Kuzu]

Well I admit, I've seen stupider reasons people haven't graduated, but still what the actual fuck.

[Emperor Robrainiac]

...All she said was Hell? really? I could think of a thousand worse things she could have said than Hell. And the school mascot is a devil? Good god the irony, it burns so bad. >.<

[Linkabel]

To be clear, holding her diploma and her records is absolutely against the law. If this is taken to court, Kaitlin will definitely win.

And then Smith and the superintendent will lose their jobs.

Either way, Prague's reputation is completely gone, which saddens me severely.

Actually I thought that they could hold your diploma and transcripts, here in my school something similar happened and the school argued "behavioral problems" (and it was because a group of people threw a beach ball during the ceremony and even people not involved got into trouble). I don't remember the details but I think they had to apologized and do community service in order to get their diplomas.

Edited August 22, 2012 by TheBlueWind

[-Robin-]

I think Oklahoma law specifically forbids withholding records in this manner. It may be different in other states.

Regardless, a word was used as the reason for denying her diploma. Soooooo First Amendment, I summon thee.

Edited August 22, 2012 by Bobbyjosh

[Remy]

If there's one thing high schools liek doing, it's unfairly and often illegally withholding graduation diplomas.

[KHCast]

Well I'm going to sleep before getting my bigger thoughts out on this. But all I will say is School can be very VERY unfair when it comes to this stuff. and sometimes and sadly school get away with it.

[Eternal EX]

I think Oklahoma law specifically forbids withholding records in this manner. It may be different in other states.

Regardless, a word was used as the reason for denying her diploma. Soooooo First Amendment, I summon thee.

As in freedom of speech? Psshhh. That shit doesn't exist in the USA. That died years ago.

[Speederino]

But all I will say is School can be very VERY unfair when it comes to this stuff. and sometimes and sadly school get away with it.

You know, it's kind of funny. My experience was pretty much the same throughout high school. If you said anything that even vaguely resembled a swear word, then it was OH MY GOD THIS KID IS A DELINQUENT SPAWN OF THE DEVIL SUSPEND HIM!!! But college? Nobody gives a flying fuck! I've had Professors that cuss just as casually as the students! One of them, at the beginning of the semester, even warned everyone he cusses like a sailor and tells them to just drop the class if it offends them that much. Such a different environment.

[Voyant]

And people wonder why I'm agnostic...

[Mangoaxe5]

I find it funny that people still overrect about the word "Hell".