Valedictorian's speech cut short because she strayed from approved text
To the editor:
I am a teacher at Foothill High School. I have taught there since the school opened. I am also a name reader at our graduations.
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I attended our graduation this year, when school officials "pulled the plug" on valedictorian Brittany McComb's speech because of her references to Christianity and God. I have watched as this "story" has been covered by all forms of the media. I have seen everyone jump on the bandwagon to rally for freedom of speech. The one thing I haven't seen is an accurate account of what happened.
As an educator, I teach my students to obey the law. I teach them when and how to question the law. I personally teach First Amendment rights and responsibilities. I also teach them to honor their commitments. I teach them how freedom of speech works.
Brittany was not one of my students. If she would have discussed her speech with me, I would have told her:
--Do a good job of making sure you are talking about your personal inspiration and not telling others how they should think.
--If you deviate from your speech at all, the school will have no option but to cut your microphone, so live up to the commitment you made to give the speech as approved.
--Remember, this is not just your graduation. There are many people in the audience who agree with your beliefs, but there are also many with different beliefs, and this is not the proper platform for a sermon. All of the people in this captured audience have come to see someone graduate from high school. You do not have the right to ruin their graduation experience.
--You made a promise. If you break that promise, you would be lying, and that is a sin. Would that not be dishonorable to yourself and to your religious beliefs? I know that in my Sunday School class, I have always taught my students to honor God's word.
My administration followed the rules. The speech was edited by the school district's legal department and given to Brittany. My administration did what they must do to allow valedictorians to speak. If you want to be mad at something, go after the law, but don't attack the people who enforce the law for everyone. My administration and all the educators who were there after the school year had ended, giving of their time to make sure Foothill's graduation went smoothly, were just doing their jobs.
You are all supporting a young lady who broke the rules. Brittany has admitted this, but that isn't the story you want to cover. Brittany was allowed to talk about God. She wasn't allowed to go off her speech and preach to the audience. The next speaker spoke about God in her speech, but it was in her speech.
Don't you understand? If Brittany would have started to talk about Donald Duck, her speech would have been stopped. She made a commitment to read her speech as approved by the legal department of the school district, and she did not live up to that commitment.
I am extremely proud of my school and my administration. Teachers become educators to help young people grow up and learn how to exist in this world.
What a terrible thing this story is doing. We're telling students they don't have to obey the rules, and if they break the rules and involve God, they might make the national news.
How sad that the media feel it is more important to have a sensational story than to report the facts.
Maybe this is a reason the Clark County School District is hundreds of teachers short of full staffing. Who in their right mind would go into a vocation where you do not receive support, even when you are in the right?
