In May, Kaitlin Nootbaar, a 4.0 student and class valedictorian at Prague High School, gave the Class of 2012 Valedictory speech. In the speech, she referenced questions from well-meaning adults and friends regarding her future plans and said "How the hell should I know? I’ve changed my mind so many times." The use of this fleeting intensifyer was enough to provoke the school’s principal to withhold the student’s diploma until she issued a written apology. Because she felt she had done nothing wrong, she refused.
NCAC joined with the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) in writing a joint letter to the Superintendent of the Prague School District, recommending they respect Ms. Nootbaar’s First Amendment rights to free expression and issue the diploma she more than earned. You can read the letter below: