Every Thursday at 7:00pm Eastern:

Join us LIVE for "Topics In Education"

September 22, 2011
Validictorian Speeches
With Hosts Ken Capron and Bruno Behrend
Join us as we discuss some humerous, some serious, graduation speeches including a couple that drew national attention. Pushing the boundaries of free speech from both sides.
Listen to the Show from Sept.22, 2011

Valedictorian Speaks Out Against School

The first mistake is people assume that people with degrees are educated. It's so far from the truth. We need to change our educational system from the ground up. School is a joke. It doesn't make you a thinker. It's not about the education, it's only about the degree, the grade. Not about real knowledge retention. Watch this valedictorian speak out about the education she received. This is a fantastic speech.

Best Valedictorian Speech Ever


Best Valedictorian Graduation Speech Ever (Very Funny)

This is a better quality video of the 2008 moberly valedictorian James Tayon giving his speech. Great speech!

My Favorite Graduation Speech Ever

This kid from East Jessamine High School gives a hilarious graduation speech complete with Southland knocks and off-color jokes.

Booker T. Washington High grad Deonte Bridges' Valedictorian speech

Deonte Bridges moved the audience with his Valedictorian speech before fellow graduates, faculty, staff and parents at Booker T. Washington High School's graduation ceremony on May 28, 2010, at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center. Kudos to APS' Department of Learning Technologies for this production! For more visit http://www.apsk12.org/media/index.html or www.TalkUpAPS.com.

Brittany McComb Valedictorian Speech

CENSORED

During the spring of 2006, graduating senior Brittany McComb was chosen to give the valedictory speech at Foothill High School in Henderson, Nev., by virtue of achieving the highest GPA in the school. After composing her remarks, she submitted them to school administrators according to standard district policy. School administrators, with the advice of their district legal counsel, censored her speech, deleting all three Bible references, several references to "the Lord" and the only mention of the word "Christ."

On Thursday, June 15, 2006, McComb delivered her commencement address to over 400 fellow students, families and staff. However, believing that the district's censorship of her speech amounted to a violation of her right to free speech, she attempted to deliver the original version of her remarks in which she shares her personal beliefs about the role that her Christian beliefs played in her success.

When school officials found her to be straying from the approved text, they unplugged her microphone, thus ending the address. Despite extensive jeers from the audience over the school officials' actions, McComb was not permitted to finish giving her valedictory speech. In filing suit against Foothill High School officials, Rutherford Institute attorneys stated, "Brittany's stellar academic performance qualified and entitled her to address her classmates at graduation in her own words, yet the Defendants sought to censor her speech, coerce her into giving a different speech in violation of her conscience, and interfere with and censor the delivery of her speech, all based upon her religious belief and viewpoint." Visit www.rutherford.org for more information.

Valedictorian's Speech Condemns People To Eternal Torture

Shannon Spaulding of Wolfson High School located in Jacksonville, Florida treats a graduation ceremony as a religious service. Her graduation speech contained telling those in the crowd that if they do not accept Jesus Christ, a sadistic god will torture them for all eternity.