Yahoo News is reporting that an Oklahoma high school is refusing to give its valedictorian her diploma because she used the word “Hell” in her speech.
Seriously.
Here’s the details:
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. Close the door, we have a problem,'” David Nootbaar told the network.
“She worked so hard to stay at the top of her class,” he said. “This is not right.”
In her speech—inspired by a similar address in “Eclipse: The Twilight Saga”—Kaitlin recounted how annoying it is to be constantly asked what she wants to do as graduation approached. “How the hell do I know?” she said, according to her father. “I’ve changed my mind so many times.”
In the version she submitted to the school for approval, “hell” was “heck.” But in the version she delivered at graduation, “hell” it was.
OK. Firstly this school should be ashamed. Not because the girl dropped the h-e double hockey sticks on everyone or because of this strict punishment. But because its valedictorian modeled her speech after the “Twilight” movie. Dude. Your valedictorian couldn’t come up with a decent speech on her own and decided to plagiarize “Twilight?” Twilight?
That is a pretty stiff punishment though. I’d imagine that at most public schools the punishment would’ve been a lot worse if she’d mentioned heaven. Probably a lot worse.
August 21, 2012 at 3:23 am
At least she wasn't telling all non theists they were going to he'll. A refreshing change.
August 21, 2012 at 3:27 am
A diploma is awarded on academic merit and the completion of the curriculum of the high school. If she met this criteria, her diploma should not be withheld, regardless of what she said at graduation. End of story.
August 21, 2012 at 8:36 am
Goes to show you the current thinking on the afterlife. Heaven's a place; Hell's a curse-word.
August 21, 2012 at 12:40 pm
Describing her own life as hell is not telling another person to go to hell, which would be a curse. There is a book about WWII in which Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in WWII calls war hell. The title of this book is: "TO HELL AND BACK"
I am with Amy, if the school made the child's life hell, it is the truth.
August 21, 2012 at 2:33 pm
How the valhalla…?
August 21, 2012 at 3:08 pm
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August 21, 2012 at 4:57 pm
To complete the picture, she is only asked to apologize to receive her diploma. To be honest, I'm a bit appalled by comments that make her out to be the victim of some unjust school. The school asked to see the speech because children are known to try to rattle the cages on their way out, and she lied. She wrote something then proceeded to stick her middle finger up at authority and do whatever she wanted. So now, poor, poor child, she has to be responsible for her actions and apologize before receiving her diploma. And the school won't comment because they at least have some dignity. Seriously. Read the quote. She never said school was hell.
August 22, 2012 at 1:57 am
She could be in even worse trouble if she said purgatory…
August 22, 2012 at 2:34 am
So rover finally learned how to sign a damn name.
I assume other acts of human intelligence will still only occur at intervals measured on a geologic time-scale?