WTH?? Student denied diploma for using the word hell

[diggitydot]

I just can't believe a high school valedictorian would be dumb enough to quote "Twilight". That should be an automatic bump down in class rank.

No kidding. That alone makes me think the title of "valedictorian" is given a tad too freely in that district. Sheesh.

[niener]

I didn't realize hell was a swear word.

LOL, me either, which I think is why I'm having a hard time coming up with a response to this.

[ladymoreta]

I just can't believe a high school valedictorian would be dumb enough to quote "Twilight". That should be an automatic bump down in class rank.

LOL That was my first thought! (And I admit to kind of liking the series, but not enough to think it's quote worthy!)

Our school allowed multiple valedictorians if the students all had identical GPAs because valedictorians were the student(s) ranked #1 in their class by GPA. I don't know what would be used as a tiebreaker. How do other places choose valedictorians?

As far as the girl's diploma, I agree that she should have to write the apology. I was taught that "hell" was inappropriate language (except for the theological meaning, of course). I'm sure she knew better. Just because you're free to say something, doesn't mean you're free of the consequences, and this would be a great opportunity for her parents to teach her about that while the lesson is still "free".

[MrsK]

Just because you're free to say something, doesn't mean you're free of the consequences, and this would be a great opportunity for her parents to teach her about that while the lesson is still "free".

Well said.

[ladymoreta]

Fun fact: In Oklahoma, Prague rhymes with "vague".

[SoonerTexan]

I don't know what would be used as a tiebreaker. How do other places choose valedictorians?

We weren't on the 4.0 system, technically. Different level classes (AP vs. regular, etc.) had different weights so a 95 in an AP class was worth more than a 95 in a regular class. I think the total you could get was something out of 120 and it went out a couple decimal points, so there were rarely ties. I'm not sure what they did in the case of one, though. I'm pretty sure our valedictorian was probably on the verge of a panic attack by the end

[ladymoreta]

Ours were weighted, too, but if you wanted to go to a school like OU, you needed to take all the honors/AP classes that were offered (and they structured the schedule so you could do that). Since we all took the same classes, it just required making all A's to get equal scores.

[GrayMatterWife]

Princess Fiona: I'm with you and Pollyanna. She should apologize. Offensiveness is not defined solely by intent. Even of her use of the word was inadvertent, unintentionally or not meant to offend, it was a reasonably foreseeable term of offense to a mixed audience. Be bigger than the principal--who strikes me as being a tad petty--and apologize.

Teenagers. The whole world is always all about them and their feelings and their values. Show that you are bigger than that and learn a grown-up life lesson: concede where appropriate.