Principal retires after allegedly refusing to let school’s first black valedictorian speak at graduation
Student gave graduation address at mayor's office instead
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Your support makes all the difference.A high school principal has retired after allegedly refusing to let the school’s first black valedictorian give a graduation speech.
Jaisaan Lovett – a recent graduate of the University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men in Rochester, New York – told local outlets the school’s principal refused to let him speak at graduation, as is tradition for valedictorians.
Instead, Mr Lovett found a friend in the town’s mayor, who let him speak at her office and posted video of the address online.
On Monday, after video of the makeshift graduation speech went viral on social media, the charter school accepted the retirement of principal and founder Joseph Munno.
“It is the Board’s responsibility to put the best interests of the school and its students at the forefront,” UPrep Board of Trustees President Edward Yansen said in a statement. “...Given the situation and considering the mission and values of UPrep, we have accepted [Mr Munno’s] retirement, effective Monday, July 9th.”
The controversy started last week, when Mayor Lovely Warren posted footage of Mr Lovett’s graduation address on the city’s YouTube channel. In the video, Ms Warren says the teenager – an intern in her office, according to the Washington Post – was barred from giving his speech because of prior disagreements with the school principal.
“For some reason, his school – in a country where freedom of speech is a constitution right, and the city of Frederick Douglass – turned his moment of triumph into a time of sorrow and pain,” she said, adding: “The is not a time to punish a child because you may not like what they say.”
Mr Munno gave a different version of events to Spectrum News, saying Mr Lovett was asked if he wanted to give a speech weeks before the ceremony, but said no. He added that the student changed his mind about speaking just before the ceremony, and refused to supply a copy of his address.
The former administrator could not be reached Monday for additional comment.
Mr Lovett, who graduated at the top of his class and is headed to Clark Atlanta University on an academic scholarship, acknowledged that he’d had confrontations with Mr Munno in the past. In one instance, he told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, he led a five-day student strike when he claimed the school wouldn’t order necessary safety equipment for a lab.
But in his graduation address, Mr Lovett said he forgave his former principal for “everything I held against you”.
“I’m here as the UPrep 2018 valedictorian to tell you that you couldn’t break me, and I’m still here; I’m still here strong,” he said. “And after all these years, all these anger I had towards you and UPrep as a whole, I realised that I had to let that go in order to better myself.”
The Board of Trustees said it is reviewing the incident and looking into related school policies.
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