Cut after valedictorian’s speech, unscripted message on immigration
The Creighton High School valedictorian was fired during his graduation ceremony for making unscripted comments about Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Afghanistan and ICE issues.
At a ceremony in North Carolina over the weekend, a high school valedictorian gave a speech that some people perceived as an anti-Semitic reference, sparking backlash from the valedictorian and later prompting another student to take the microphone to speak.
At Hoggard High School’s graduation ceremony held in Wilmington on June 6, valedictorian Kyler William Hosek concluded his speech with these words: “As one of my greatest inspirations once said, ‘Every human being has something of value to offer.'”
Hosek did not reveal who his “biggest inspiration” is. But fellow alumnus Sarah Haley Rudeshir believed the quote was a reference to anti-Semitic comments made by Ye, the rapper known as Kanye West, several years ago, and took to the microphone to let the audience know, the Wilmington Star-News, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
Before she could finish her sentence, the microphone was cut off.
The incident is the latest example of controversy surrounding graduation ceremonies as high school and college graduation season continues across the country. At another high school’s graduation ceremony in North Carolina, the valedictorian was stopped during his speech after he deviated from his script by making comments related to Palestine and America’s immigration crackdown. Ceremonies in Arizona, Tennessee and Florida were interrupted after audience members booed at the mention of artificial intelligence.
In Hoggard High School’s case, Hosek’s speech was reviewed and approved before graduation, the district said. New Hanover County Schools Superintendent Christopher R. Burns said the district had no problem pre-approving the speech, but regrets that it was received negatively.
Here’s what happened:
Student says speech referenced anti-Semitic quote
About an hour after Josek’s speech, Rudeshir grabbed the microphone and spoke to the crowd as diplomas were being presented, but before the microphone was cut off, the Star News reported.
“Valedictorian Kyler William Hosek quoted Kanye West’s 2022 interview from InfoWars,” Rudeshir said. “What Kyler forgot was to finish the estimate.”
Ludeshir’s microphone was then cut off before he could continue.
The quote Rudeshir is believed to be referring to comes from a 2022 interview with Yeh by Alex Jones on the now-defunct website InfoWars.
The words spoken at the graduation ceremony are similar to those spoken by West in a controversial interview in which he specifically mentioned Hitler by name and continued to make anti-Semitic statements.
The controversy surrounding Hosek’s speech has attracted national attention.
Rudeshir said in an interview with Star News that Hoggard alumni began responding to Hosek’s speech via text message immediately after he finished speaking.
Rudeshir said that after Hosek’s speech, he received a text from a friend saying, “That was crazy.”
Rudeshir said a friend who is Jewish has been subjected to anti-Semitic comments in Hoggard’s halls. “She’s heard (that word) before. She’s had it yelled at her before.”
Rudeshir said the students began exchanging messages, summarizing some of the messages and saying, “This is insane. That he stood there as valedictorian and said those words.”
Rudeshir said she decided to take action while waiting in line to receive her diploma.
“If no one said anything, I would have just kept quiet,” she says.
The graduates were supposed to hand the announcer a card with their name written on it for the announcer to read, but they “just grabbed the microphone” and continued speaking until the microphone went off.
Rudeshir said Hoggard Principal Christopher Madden instructed her to leave the stage without receiving her diploma. Rudeshir said he received his diploma when he went to the school on June 8, and said he hoped the valedictorian would “take responsibility for what he said.”
Community wants clarification on speech
Star News attempted to contact Hosek and his parents multiple times, but they did not respond.
According to local broadcaster WWAY, Hosek’s family issued a statement to the news agency calling Hosek’s speech “a positive outlook for the future of AI, emphasizing that we all have increasing opportunities to make great achievements in society in the future, that we all have something to offer and contribute, and that we all have value.”
Neither Josek’s speech nor his family’s statement mentioned the person he called his “biggest inspiration.”
Asked about Hosek’s speech, New Hanover County School Board member Tim Merrick said, “I don’t want to think he was blowing a dog whistle, but I want to be clear.”
Merrick added, “I respect (Rudosheel’s) positive comments about what he thought was wrong.”
Barnes, the district superintendent, said in a statement that the district rejects “messages of hate, discrimination, anti-Semitism, and other harmful ideologies.”
“We regret the concern and confusion this situation has caused,” Burns said. “As part of the process we have established, this speech underwent the district’s standard review procedures, which include a review of the speech in its entirety. Although the district did not identify any connections during the review process, we understand that some members of our community received this language in a different light.”
Burns added, “Our goal is for graduation ceremonies to remain focused on celebrating students, honoring their accomplishments, and uniting the community.”
John Staton is Star News’ arts and culture reporter. Please contact us at jstaton@usatodayco.com.
