A student had her microphone shut off when she tried to talk about her sexual assault at her graduation ceremony.
Lulabel Seitz was giving her speech as valedictorian of Petaluma High School in California when she was censored for trying to speak about her sexual assault case.
CNN reports that Seitz said the following before being cut off:
“… Because the class of 2018 has demonstrated time and time again that we may be a new generation but we are not too young to speak up, to dream and to create change. Which is why, even when some people on this campus, those same people…”
The 17-year-old student told the network that when her mic was cut, she felt “worthless.”
Seitz was allegedly sexually assaulted on the school’s campus, but has said that her formal complaints were ignored.
She said that the school’s administration told her to cut the section about her assault from her speech, but that the night before she decided to include it.
Seitz eventually uploaded her entire speech to YouTube.
In it, she addressed the school’s attempt to censor her.
She said:
“The Petaluma High School Administration infringed on my freedom of speech, and prevented a whole graduating class from having their message delivered.
“For weeks, they have threatened me against ‘speaking against them’ in my speech. Sometimes we know what’s right and have to do it despite the threats.”
Petaluma High School told KPIX that they couldn’t discuss private matters involving students, but that:
“If an alleged event happens off campus or on, we work to support our students with appropriate discipline, extensive counselling, and whatever measures we can take to protect our students while they are in our learning environment.”
