Prague Diploma Controversy

[Jersey Boss]

Who appointed this administrator as censor? Of course this begs a bigger question of just what is the problem with the usage of hell? Is this a separation of church and state issue?

[soonerguru]

As has been pointed out, the school mascot is a DEVIL. This is such a joke. Talk about small towns and small minds. The autocrats have already sent their message to the girl. Send her the diploma already. What an embarrassing display.

[onthestrip]

Without the diploma, can she go to college...is that full scholarship she got now invalid? Or did she graduate and they are just denying the physical piece of paper that she might frame or store in a drawer someplace? In other words, if she submits her high school transcript, does it show that she graduated?

A graduates transcript is all that really matters to colleges. Its shows not only if you graduate but also GPA and courses taken.

[soonerguru]

The frustrating thing is that this situation represents is when guidelines get blown up and administrators are made to look foolish.

It is perfectly reasonable to have some sort of contextual guidelines or standards covering what can be said at a school graduation. But they'd better be fairly loose guidelines that respect freedom of speech. And if the district had guidelines establishing that profanity (and, yes, I believe using the term "hell" in this way would be considered profane usage) was not acceptable, and she knew those rules going in, then there's a problem....

On the other hand....

To turn it into this federal case is serving no one.

The solution has to be somewhere in the middle. Compromise, mutual respect, and all that business. Unless I'm mistaken, the district said it would relent if she apologized for violating their content rules (however right or wrong they may be in everyone else's view), and that surely seems a way through this. Heavens, if she was so strident in her defense of the use of that word, she could always apologize "for violating the guidelines," and not the content itself. The district might not like that, but it would inevitably be played out in the media that she apologized, shifting the focus back on the administration.

The opposite extreme, of course, would be a protracted and embarrassing litigation that I believe the district would almost surely lose, costing the taxpayers a chunk of money and doing absolutely zero of benefit for the student (or anyone else), or even the notion of establishing content guidelines for a graduation speech. Sadly, I suspect a court date is ahead for all involved.

Everything, it seems, gets drawn as a hot line in sand these days. I, personally, don't like her choice of words at all. But I have a tough time taking it to the extreme of withholding her diploma, unless there was actually a rule in the district specifying that such was a potential consequence of violating the speech guidelines - which I seriously, seriously doubt. You can't make up rules on the fly, or at least you generally shouldn't be able to IMHO.

* sigh *

Apparently there IS such a rule, as the school claims. Big whoop. They should get over it and give her diploma already. They could still send it in "protest." Most valedictorians would not want this much publicity in the future. They've made their point. Now they should move on.

[boscorama]

They could've given the girl her diploma, then quietly remove her name from the wall of fame at the school, but apparently someone was too offended to not let it become a national spectacle.

Anybody know why she waited so long to attempt to get her diploma?

[Midtowner]

Apparently there IS such a rule, as the school claims. Big whoop. They should get over it and give her diploma already. They could still send it in "protest." Most valedictorians would not want this much publicity in the future. They've made their point. Now they should move on.

If this policy has been equally and uniformly enforced against every student who has ever slightly deviated from the script in the history of the Prague school district, then fine, hold the diploma. That's fair. If they're singling her out because of h-e-double hockeysticks, they're idiots and are depending on an eighteen year old kid backing down in order to save face.

Good luck with that.

The administrators will probably be more wise about picking their battles in the future.

[MadMonk]

We're talking about a teenage girl who used the word 'hell' but good job on dragging Obama into the conversation.

By God I think they should make an example of her and either give her a good flogging, waterboard her or really teach them young whipper snappers a lesson and burn her at the stake. Her actions shouldn't be tolerated, next thing you know she'll be skinny dipping in the Sea of Galilee.

So what were you referring to with the highlighted text above? You better watch where you throw those those stones, your glass house might be in the way.

[soonerguru]

The administrators will probably be more wise about picking their battles in the future.

I have zero faith that this is the case. What evidence is there suggesting that these simpletons might be "wise" or "pick battles?"

[Questor]

She probably shouldn't have. But the school's response sort of seems like giving someone the death penalty for committing jay walking.

[RadicalModerate]

Hate to butt in . . . (can we say butt in here? or is b-o-o-t-y more acceptable to the general pubic?)
Yet (despite my rhetorical objection to faux-semantics, the laws of punctuation/style and whatnot) I think that the right-and left!-thinking Denizens of Prague need to seriously consider a Zero-Tolerance Policy on electing knee-jerkoff morons or moron imitators to the School Board or School Paddle or whatever . . .

Edited to Add: Cool on the "Obama Connection" Dudever. . . [WTF??????!!!!]
This goes a long way in explaining the current political realities of Mindless Democracy In SouthCentralMidNorth America.
(btw: i object, strenuously, to the flagrant use of the pre-fab yellow and red fancy devil emoticon, above =)

After all . . .
There is Prague


and there is the shadow of what Prague could be . . .

[MadMonk]

Well, you knew this was going to happen.
https://www.facebook.com/FreeKaitlinsDiploma

[Roadhawg]

So what were you referring to with the highlighted text above? You better watch where you throw those those stones, your glass house might be in the way.

Oh the glass in my house is already broken lol

[Jersey Boss]

Any wonder why the best and brightest move away for good from these small towns? The old folks who never left and are watching their grocery stores close due to a dwindling population need to take stock and realize the days of "seen and not heard" are as gone as typewriter repairmen.

[OKCisOK4me]

Is this Mr. Smith an old man? Personally, I just think its an administrator on a power trip who won't let his ego be toppled. I'll throw an egg at him though!

[Jersey Boss]

Is this Mr. Smith an old man? Personally, I just think its an administrator on a power trip who won't let his ego be toppled. I'll throw an egg at him though!

While not knowing his chronological age, he represents and has the support of that type of mindset.

[RadicalModerate]

I think that what concerns me most about this world-shaking issue is the fact that a Valedictorian, with an impeccable permanent record up to this point, decided to use a quote from the Twilight series in a commencement speech. That, and the fact that she was willing to settle for an appearance on the Today show instead of one of the more cross-cultural educational programs such as one hosted by Jay Leno or Steve Allen. Or Jack Paar.

[Roadhawg]

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c2#...edictorian.cnn

[RadicalModerate]

What with the school mascot being a "devil" and all, perhaps this recoiling at the mention of "hell" is one of those "methinks thou protesteth too much" deals . . .

Surely this isn't really behind the scenes footage of a school board meeting . . .


That would be like something from . . . THE TWILIGHT ZONE!!!!

[soonerguru]

Any wonder why the best and brightest move away for good from these small towns? The old folks who never left and are watching their grocery stores close due to a dwindling population need to take stock and realize the days of "seen and not heard" are as gone as typewriter repairmen.

Dead on. Kids can't wait to get out of places like this backwater -- for good reason. What is there for them? The ones who stay take over mom and pop's businesses, as they have a financial stake, or are often stuck for other reasons: pregnancy, legal probs, divorce, etc.

Then, you have the folks who think it's a good strategy to tell critics: "If you don't like it, leave."

Lovely.

[UnclePete]

I would gladly sign a petition to change the name of Prague to Hell like the town in Michigan. Just think of the tourist potential. If we want Oklahoma to be a national laughing-stock, we may as well go all the way.

[RadicalModerate]

And you could print the logo on BOTH the inside and outside of the tee shirt! That could provide a springboard to discussion regarding infinity or eternity or sumpin' . . . I'm surprised that the Tourism Board hasn't already got the silksreens running on this project: Go To Hell. Home of The Best Kolaches in The Universe.

(geez . . . i just realized what a bunch of UrbanElitists we appear to be. at least we agree on something.)

[Bellaboo]

There is also a place in Grand Cayman that is called Hell, complete with a Post Office to mail your cards from.

[Bellaboo]

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c2#...edictorian.cnn

Best laugh I've had in awhile.

[Fantastic]

Without the diploma, can she go to college...is that full scholarship she got now invalid?

As far as University admissions go, a diploma is completely unnecessary. It's the TRANSCRIPT that the university needs, and legaly as far as the diploma goes it is a district issue, but if they had denied giving her the transcript, the State and/or Federal government could have stepped in on behalf of the student and forced the school to hand it over.

She has already statred classes in college, which means that the transcript was given to her by the school district.

[Roadhawg]

I would gladly sign a petition to change the name of Prague to Hell like the town in Michigan. Just think of the tourist potential. If we want Oklahoma to be a national laughing-stock, we may as well go all the way.

I've been to Hell, MI and have a glass and patch to prove it *lol*