Valedictorian Denied Diploma After Saying 'Hell' in Speech
Kaitlin Nootbaar earned the title of Valedictorian at her high school in Oklahoma but was reportedly denied her diploma after using the word "hell" in her graduation speech. School officials withheld the certificate until Nootbaar apologized, sparking a debate as to the use of the term.
"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,'" Kaitlin's father, David Nootbaar told Fox News.
Nootbaar had earned the title of Valedictorian, graduating with a 4.0 average and was fully prepared to give her speech. It was a slip of the tongue that led to the word "hell" being used instead of "heck." David explained that his daughter fully intended to use the latter term, and it may have been a simple error.
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Even though the speech apparently did not ruffle any feathers in the audience, though there may have been some surprise, school officials were not pleased. When she went to receive her diploma, the principal informed her there was a problem.
"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,'" Nootbaar explained. She learned that she would have to submit a written apology before the school would release her diploma, which angered her father.
"She earned that diploma. She completed the state curriculum. In four years, she has never made a B. She got straight A's and had a 4.0 the whole way through," David told Fox.
Kaitlin has no intention of writing the apology but will instead start college on a full scholarship. She has the full blessing of her family in the matter and hopes to make a fresh start.
"This matter is confidential and we cannot publicly say anything about it," School Superintendent Dr. Riick Martin told Fox when asked for a statement.
Many have offered their opinions on the matter, with a great majority in support of Nootbaar's right to freedom of speech.
"I am not of the mind that this was meant to offend anyone, but to convey something that we all feel at an early age, when we do not know what is ahead of us," commented Brad Stites on Fox's website.
"Hell is not a bad word; it is used by tons of people. A lot of religious and non-religious use the word in good and bad ways. She has the right to freedom of speech," added Shawn Cougar.
