Kaitlin Nootbaar, an Oklahoma high school valedictorian, gave her graduation speech in May but is still waiting to receive her diploma. Why? Because she used the word "hell" in her graduation speech. The Prague High School student was actually denied diploma for using this word.
When Kaitlin and her father, David Nootbaar, went to pick up her diploma, school administrators told them that she would have to submit a written apology to receive a diploma. Uh, and what would they do with that written apology? Frame it on the wall?
"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 said. "She worked so hard to stay at the top of her class. This is not right."
In her speech, Kaitlin admitted how annoying it is to constantly be asked what she wants to do after graduation. She said, "How the hell do I know? I've changed my mind so many times."
The school officials at Kaitlin's high school have real issues if they're really denying her a diploma just for using the word "hell" in her graduation speech. The young lady obviously worked hard throughout high school to become valedictorian and doesn't deserve to have her diploma taken away because she uttered a profanity. It's not as if the word "hell" is even offensive. These school officials are overreacting and need to give the poor girl her diploma before her father hires a lawyer.
Photo Credit: ABC News
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Comments: 10
The ACLU should intervene, at its earliest possible convenience.
On the flip, 'Hell' is no longer a word to be feared. Hell is that place we go if we sin without repentance but hell is also rush hour traffic, coming and going each and every day. Hell is trying to find a parking spot at the Wal*Mart and then, Hell is finding that only four check-out lines are open when there are two-dozen registers.
Hell is waking up and remembering that you forgot to buy coffee the day before. Hell is sitting down on the porcelain throne and finding that the nearest roll of paper is in the next room. Hell is stepping into a cold shower because your kids used all the hot water.
There has to be a common ground.
I think the graduate in question should offer some degree of apology for those who spent 12 hard years of hell getting her through to this point. But also, the school should be a little less puritan and recall the hell each of them went through to get a teaching degree.
Always... ALWAYS, life is a two-way street!
Still, they should give her her diploma. It's not their right to hold that back from her.
D-I-P-L-O-M-A-C-Y!!!