Student reprimanded for giving honor to Jesus Christ
A high school student in Kentucky had to apologize to school administrators before receiving his withheld diploma due to deviating from his graduation speech and praising Jesus, according to CBN News.
Micah Price, a graduate of Campbell County High School in Alexandria, KY, experienced a five-day delay in receiving his diploma. This occurred after he went off-script during his graduation speech to give honor to Jesus Christ.
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Price informed a local Fox News station that he had submitted eight drafts of his speech for approval. Although he adhered to the final draft for most of his commencement address, he chose to speak from the heart during the ceremony held on May 24 at Truist Arena at Northern Kentucky University.
Giving honor to the Lord
“Class, before another word leaves my mouth, I must give the honor, the praise, and the glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Price proclaimed during the ceremony. He continued, “Who in his very words tells us He is the Light, He is the Way, the Truth, and Life. Class, anyone in the audience today, I’m here to tell you that if you don’t have any of those things in your life and can’t seem to find the answer, then my Lord and Savior is your answer.”
Who in his very words tells us He is the Light, He is the Way, the Truth, and Life. Class, anyone in the audience today, I’m here to tell you that if you don’t have any of those things in your life and can’t seem to find the answer, then my Lord and Savior is your answer
Micah Price
Although Price was permitted to express his faith, he was instructed to stick to the pre-approved script.
Following his speech, a principal informed Price that he would need to explain his actions to the school board for deviating from the approved script. Price acknowledged that he knew the potential consequences of not adhering to the script.
Diploma was held for 5 days
“I knew it was going to be held,” Price stated. “Before you do anything they tell us if you go up there and do a cartwheel or something stupid, that will get your diploma held.”
Superintendent Shelli Wilson emphasized that all speakers were warned about the repercussions of going off-script. “All speakers were told that going off their submitted speech, or any unplanned choices at graduation, may have repercussions as they would at any school function,” she explained. Wilson added that off-program actions could lead to consequences regardless of the cause or message being supported.
Price mentioned that previous drafts of his speech included a call to salvation, but he was asked to remove it to avoid dividing the audience at a public institution. “I think it was fine that I thanked him, but going in and urging them to follow him and urging other Christians to stand up and talk about him might be the thing they didn’t want,” Price shared.
After meeting with school administrators, Price received his diploma. In a TikTok video, he acknowledged that he technically violated the school’s rules but expressed gratitude for finally receiving his diploma, calling it an “answered prayer.”
Approaching with love and prayer rather than hate
Price emphasized that he did not intend for the incident to become controversial or viral. He addressed the negative reactions from some individuals, urging them to approach the situation with love and prayer rather than hate. “If you truly consider yourself a Christian, be loving and pray for me, that’s all I need but thank you for the support, thanks for the support. We will get the diploma, everything’s going to be fine,” he said.
Price concluded by reaffirming his decision to speak from the heart despite knowing the consequences. “I simply cannot hold back what Christ has done in my life,” he stated. “He’s everything to me.”
