Micah Price, a senior graduating from Campbell High School in Kentucky, was asked to give the commencement speech for his graduating class. But after he went off-script to share his faith, the school delayed giving him his diploma.
Price was required to submit his speech for approval by the school administrators before giving it at graduation, and according to an article by The National Desk, he was approved to thank his “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” But when it came time to deliver the address, Price went a little further.
"Class, everyone in the audience today, I'm here to tell you if you don't have any of those things in your life, you can't seem to find the answer, my Lord and Savior is your answer. He will give you the truth, the way and the life,” Price told his fellow graduates, paraphrasing Scripture.
Video from the event shows Price's words being met with resounding applause from audience members.
High school graduate DENIED diploma for pointing classmates to Christ in commencement speech.
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"My Lord and Savior is your answer. He will give you the truth, the way and the life."
The graduate, Micah Price, was denied his diploma because he deviated from the speech previously… pic.twitter.com/CzhSKbEpxJ
While some might say he is at fault for going off-script in a pre-approved speech, Price wanted to take a moment in his speech to encourage his graduating class to accept Jesus. (One might wonder if he'd been met with the same consequences if he'd thrown in a liberal-approved message into his speech, such as declaring that "Black lives matter," or that LGBTQ persons deserve to be "affirmed.")
Related: Joyful Russell Brand Praises Jesus While Celebrating One Month As a Christian
Surely the school would be understanding even though he went off-script, right? After all, Price didn’t encourage violence, slander anyone, or say anything particularly “offensive” - unless you simply find a mention of Christ objectionable.
Which, apparently, the school did. Shortly after giving his speech, Price was told he wouldn’t yet be getting his diploma.
Campbell County Schools Superintendent Dr. Shelli Wilson defended the decision, saying in a statement that "All speakers were told that going off their submitted speech, or any unplanned choices at graduation, may have repercussions as they would at any school function.”
Price admitted he was in the wrong in a video posted on TikTok, in which he said, "I am in the wrong technically, because I went against Campbell County code, the rules."
This incident speaks to a larger issue that is happening across schools in America where students are being silenced for speaking about faith. Micah Price was in the wrong because of school policy, but he should not have been punished for sharing his faith.
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