A Kentucky high school student recently delivered a speech during his commencement ceremony in which he honored Jesus Christ. However, Micah Price went “off-script” and concluded his speech by “urging other Christians to stand up.”
“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 said to the audience at Truist Arena at Northern Kentucky University. He was met with applause before proceeding with his faith-based message.
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.”
However, upon taking some creative liberties and deviating from his prepared remarks, school officials retaliated against Price, refusing to give him his diploma. Price took to social media, stating in a TikTok video how his principal reprimanded him.
“After the speech was over, one of the principals came in, tapped me on the shoulder, very politely and professionally told me that I was going to have to go in front of the board and explain what I did because I went off script,” Price said.
Superintendent Shelli Wilson explained that all speakers at the commencement ceremony were informed that they were not to stray from their planned remarks. “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 said.
Wilson further illustrated what some of these “unplanned choices” could look like. “Off-program choices such as speech, signs, and caps in support of any cause or religion, injecting inappropriate language, or political election statements could lead to something other than this outpouring of Christian faith,” she continued.
According to Price, he originally included the content in his speech, which he was punished for, but had to remove it before the school would approve it. The graduate claimed he was told his Christian message could be too divisive for the audience at a “public institution.”
“I had that in my script, and they told me that I was; they said that it was a public institution; and they didn’t want to divide their audience or my audience because I was speaking,” Price said. “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.”
In the aftermath of the speech, Price emphasized to his followers on TikTok that he held no animosity toward the Campbell County school administrators or the principals, who he said were “just doing their jobs.” Watch Micah’s powerful speech in which he spread the message of Jesus Christ below:
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.