A Catholic high school in Kentucky
barred two students from speaking just hours before graduation.
The Diocese of Covington said that the
speeches “were political and inconsistent with the teaching of the
Catholic Church.”
Katherine Frantz, the student council
president at Holy Cross High School, and Christian Bales, the
valedictorian, each grabbed a megaphone and delivered their speeches
after the ceremony ended. Bales' mother said that both students
believed their speeches were approved.
Bales, who is gay, told NBC
affiliate WLWT that his speech included a message of “empowerment
through youth.”
“As we enter into the real world, we
must remember that we have a voice,” said Bales over the megaphone
on the school's front lawn. “Throughout the past four years at Holy
Cross, I’ve learned how to utilize my voice to advocate for my
beliefs as an ethical individual. I faced opposition in a number of
scenarios, but my voice has continued to grow in intensity as I face
more adversity. Rather than allowing opposition to silence us, we
must utilize it as empowerment.”
Officials informed the students on the
morning of their Friday graduation that they would not be allowed to
speak at the school's graduation ceremony.