High school valedictorian barred from graduation

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   Stevennix2001posted 8 years ago

   According to CBS news, a high school student was not only prevented from partaking in tradition where a valedictorian gives the graduation speech, but it seems now he's been banned from attending graduation entirely. 
   
   The kid has already received a scholarship to go to Harvard this year, and it seems like he's garnered a reputation around the school as being a very outspoken kid that's VERY opinionated on a lot of things.  In fact, CBS news even states that the kid called out one of his own teachers once, and even he states that he feels the school was probably afraid he would call some people out during his speech.
   
   However, he did try to resolve the issue peacefully with his school AFTER he was told that they were not going to allow him to give the speech at graduation, as their official excuse was that even though it's tradition for the valedictorian to always give a speech in every graduation ceremony, the reality is it's NOT a legal obligation to uphold such tradition; hence they feel like deviating from said tradition this year.  That was basically their excuse to him, and he got a bit upset about it. 
   
   When he tried to resolve the issue privately with his guidance counselor, it eventually led up to where the school advised him to seek psychiatric help for them to even consider the possibility.  He did, and he was cleared by a shrink to be perfectly fine mentally, but the school decided to ban him from the graduation ceremony entirely.  Now, there's various students protesting this injustice, and it's forcing the school to take a massive PR hit because of their decision.
   
   What are your thoughts on this?  Do you agree with the student that he should not only be allowed to attend the graduation, but to give the speech that he's rightfully earned the honor of doing as well?  Or do you feel the school is perfectly justified?  Does this hinder free speech in any way?  Or do you  think this is much ado about nothing?  What are your thoughts?   
   
   Here's the video link for those that want to watch it.   I should warn you that you probably won't be able to skip the ads on it because even if you do press the "skip the ad" button, then it'll just play a different commercial of the same damn ad, so you'll have to suffer through it if you want to see the actual news video.  Just giving you all a heads up.  anyways, what do you guys think?
   
   http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/high-scho … raduation/

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      Kathryn L Hillposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I guess he wasn't a blindly obedient sheep.
      Oh oops... going against what the TEACHERS SAY! !
      Having HIS OWN THOUGHTS!!!! GASP !
      
      Needless to say, Its P A T H E T I C.
      And what 's wrong with Harvard these days?
      They better NOT ban him.

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         Stevennix2001posted 8 years agoin reply to this

         It wasn't Harvard that's doing this to him.  It's his high school that's doing this to him.  CBS just mentioned that he recently got accepted into Harvard, but his high school is banning him from his own graduation ceremony for some reason. 

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            Kathryn L Hillposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            No, the narrator in the video said that even Harvard was questioning/rethinking their acceptance of him.
            In the first place, he seems like a nice looking person of Indian descent.
            In the second place, the students are in his favor, as after all he stood up for not only individuals , but entire classrooms. However, we don't get to know WHAT he was actually defending or what his point of view is. Could they bother to tell us the most pertinent part of the story?
            NNNOOOO!!!!
            Does anybody know? How could we find out?

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      Melissa A Smithposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Believe it or not, excellent grades and college acceptance doesn't give a person the right to disrespect others. Consequences have actions. He might be intelligent but he also needs to learn some common sense as well.

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   janesixposted 8 years ago

   Wow. This is ridiculous!

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   janesixposted 8 years ago

   It would be awesome if ALL of the kids didn't show up for graduation, and instead held a party where he can give his speech.

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      Stevennix2001posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      That would definitely be one way to send a message to the school. 

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   Live to Learnposted 8 years ago

   Not much info to go on in order to make a comment. I'll assume it isn't a bunch of Nazi's running the show.
   
   Maybe it's as simple as the school thinks the graduation ceremony is something to honor all of the kids; not let one kid grandstand and, possibly, ruin the day for the majority.

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   psycheskinnerposted 8 years ago

   I doubt that the media report gives me enough information to really understand what was going on here.

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   psycheskinnerposted 8 years ago

   He was said to have threatened a guidance counselor and we have only his version of what he said.  If it was something like a threat of violence.... well.  We don't know either way, really.
   
   As is often the case the media just parrots what the person who comes to them claims, they don't try and find the other side of the story.

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      Kathryn L Hillposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, we need to know the whole story or don't bother reporting it. (speaking to the news papers)
      This story is a real P-off!
      
      Thanks for nothing, Steven.
      
      PS I saw parts of Entourage…
      What I saw was really stupid and awful.
      -what did you think?
      If you haven't seen it don't.
      Spy was better.

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   Kathryn L Hillposted 8 years ago

   Man, one kid gets a little rebellious and everyone comes unglued.

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