Clayton teen says she was denied her diploma as she spoke about ICE and Palestine in her welcome speech.
Leen Hijaz, a Palestinian-origin Muslim student of Clayton High School, Missouri, said her principal was not giving her a diploma as she made a controversial graduation speech, which her principal interrupted as well. During the graduation ceremony for Clayton High School on Thursday, May 28, Leen Hijaz delivered the welcome speech and as she reached the closing remarks of her speech, Hijaz began speaking about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Palestine.”Before I leave the stage, I have one last thing to say. Every single person here has a voice; we have the privilege to use it when millions around the world are struggling and suffering to be heard. Whether it’s the millions suffering in Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Afghanistan and so many other countries around the world, or the families being torn apart by ICE. These are not just an issue there; they are happening there, they’re happening right here as I speak. My point is, we’re not given a voice to stay silent,” she said.It was caught on the camera as the event was being livestreamed that a woman, the principal, appeared to stop Hijaz. After that video went viral, Hijaz acknowledged that the end of her speech was spontaneous and was not pre-approved.”I was extremely scared to say something and really wasn’t planning on doing it, but I had so much support from my friends and family around me, and they encouraged me to say something,” Hijaz said. “I didn’t get to say everything I wanted to say, but I said enough.”According to WRAL report, Johnston County Public Schools said that students were required to submit their remarks well in advance of the graduation, and that a student deviated from what was preapproved by administrators. “School administrators intervened in order to maintain the integrity and focus of the program in real time. This action was not about limiting a student’s voice, but about ensuring that a school-sponsored event remained consistent with its intended purpose,” the district said.Johnston County Public Schools did not specifically state that Hijaz’s diploma was withheld as a result of the speech.
