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Valedictorian denied high school diploma for saying hell in speech

Guy Incognito said:
If the school had to issue the diploma because she made it all the way to graduation, then you might have a point. But that just isn't the case. You are wrong.
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The point of a High School graduation is to issue a diploma to the former students. She was allowed to attend because she completed her 13 years of schooling and she is entitled to receive a diploma.

How am I wrong?
 
Das Sozialist said:
The point of a High School graduation is to issue a diploma to the former students. She was allowed to attend because she completed her 13 years of schooling and she is entitled to receive a diploma.

How am I wrong?
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Schools can withhold diplomas all the way up until they grant them, and can even rescind them after they've been granted.
That is how you are wrong.
 
Das Sozialist said:
No. You're trying to claim that Schools can hold diplomas until granted and can rescind them afterwards as well. It's your job to prove your statement, not mine.
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Nothing I do or do not do will alter the fact that you are wrong.
 
Das Sozialist said:
You claim I'm wrong, yet have nothing to back it up with. Why not prove your statement?
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More than a mere claim, this is a fact. You are, in fact, wrong. No amount of huffing and puffing by you will change this fact. Your wrongness is eternal.
 
Guy Incognito said:
More than a mere claim, this is a fact. You are, in fact, wrong. No amount of huffing and puffing by you will change this fact. Your wrongness is eternal.
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And I am wrong how? Do you have a reason? Proof? A source? Or am I wrong because you say so and your word is law? 'In fact' means there's a fact behind your statement. There is not.
 
Das Sozialist said:
And I am wrong how? Do you have a reason? Proof? A source? Or am I wrong because you say so and your word is law?
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You are wrong because you have made assertions that are contrary to fact. These false assertions of yours form the basis of your wrongness.
 
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Wiseone said:
How many times do I have to say it? We still haven't verified that wrongful behavior took place. I knew I'd have to repeat myself. You're so sure that some policy or rule has been violated but there's nothing to demonstrate that, I've yet to see and you've yet to actually see this school's policies and rules. Hell even the superintendent is saying the reason is confidential, which could mean anything or it could mean nothing but it doesn't show that some policy has been violated.

Now, please continue to talk about some rule or policy being violated without even knowing if such a rule or policy exists.
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I am with the Wise One on this. The Superintendant making the statement that the reason is "confidential" only proves that he is a carbon copy of Harry Reid. Would I ever believe this Superintendant ... not in this lifetime, unless he opens up the "confidential" rule. Why do the secret acusations of the Spanish Inquistion come to mind? Why does the Sixth Amendment come to mind?

Show us the 'rule' that the girl broke.

A L
 
Guy Incognito said:
She was given a chance to apologize for breaking to rule, which, if she had done so, would have allowed her to get the diploma. She refused to apologize, and opted to simply demand her diploma despite the fact that she broke the rule. Never mind that she is in no position to make demands, she rebuffed the generosity of the school to permit her to simply write out an apology. Why on earth would anyone support or encourage this kind of behavior?
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Guy Incognito has claimed the young lady "broke the rules" by using the word hell in her graduation speech. Just one problem - there is no rule that would seem to cover her 'offense' in the rather detailed set of rules for Prague High students. The pettiness of the principal's behaviour causes me to think there may be some other reason behind his refusal to hand over her well-earned diploma. Like many other intelligent students Ms Nootbaar may have at one time or the other mentioned that she had questions about locally popular religious beliefs. Simply questioning religion causes some to react in non-logical manner.


But the greatest irony in this matter and the one which causes me to think religion has something to do with the problem - is the school mascot

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Somerville said:
Guy Incognito has claimed the young lady "broke the rules" by using the word hell in her graduation speech. Just one problem - there is no rule that would seem to cover her 'offense' in the rather detailed set of rules for Prague High students. The pettiness of the principal's behaviour causes me to think there may be some other reason behind his refusal to hand over her well-earned diploma. Like many other intelligent students Ms Nootbaar may have at one time or the other mentioned that she had questions about locally popular religious beliefs. Simply questioning religion causes some to react in non-logical manner.


But the greatest irony in this matter and the one which causes me to think religion has something to do with the problem - is the school mascot

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There is nothing in that policy manual that rules it out.
Your theories about the secret motives of the school administrators are inconsequential.
 
Guy Incognito said:
That is not a close analogy.
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If you take all required courses, earn all your credits and fulfill all the requirements set forth by the board of education, they must give you your diploma.

A similar thing happened to me in high school, less the valedictorian part.

She is an adult and as such she can say what she likes.

Hell is a word everybody has heard before and certainly in a public school.

If she takes this to court she will win hands down, so what does that tell you?

Why would you defend the schools arrbitrary decision to withhold her diploma for such a stupid reason?

The school should be glad to have had a student such as she is to raise their test scores and therefore get more money from the state, not treat her like she is a criminal for uttering a word that is said in every church in the country.
 
Guy Incognito said:
There is nothing in that policy manual that rules it out.
Your theories about the secret motives of the school administrators are inconsequential.
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So you believe administrators can simply make up the rules ex post facto?


I know the whole reason I brought up religion is simply because I hate all those good xians! :roll: A population of 2100 and there are 20 churches in town.


In looking for more information I found that Miss Nootbaar has started university with plans to major in biology - I wonder if the principal is a creationist. :monkey


Yes I know - there's an ass in every assumption.
 
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Somerville said:
So you believe administrators can simply make up the rules ex post facto?
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I don't see anything that precludes it, not that the absence of the rule from the manual necessitates that it's application is ex post facto.
 
Guy Incognito said:
What kind of lesson is that? What kind of example is that setting for children? You can misbehave and refuse to apologize, but as long as you complain it will all work out in the end.
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This is not a situation where a lesson needs to be taught.

She worked hard for at least 3 years of high school and she earned her diploma.

I hope you kow what the word earned means.
 
Mason66 said:
This is not a situation where a lesson needs to be taught.

She worked hard for at least 3 years of high school and she earned her diploma.

I hope you kow what the word earned means.
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She will not have "earned" her diploma until she apologizes.
 
Guy Incognito said:
I'm not sure what type of person considers a high school sTudent an adult, but even if we assume that is true, an adult has an even greater culpability.

It continues to shock me that people are defending a misbehaving student like this. Some key said it earlier, PC run amok, and they are right. I am normally all for being PC, I think it is just part of being polite to call groups of people by the names they want to b e ccalled, etc. But this has nothing to do with being politically correct or free speech or anything like that. It is simply about apologizing for breaking the rules, or stubbornly and self righteously refusing to apologize. The morally correct path is obvious.
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Have you ever been to a graduation?

Rules are broken all the time.

The hats are not supposed to be thrown into the air, but they do it. Should the diplomas be withheld in all those cases?

If somebody yells something from the crowd, that is breaking the rules. Should the diploma be withheld?
 
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