Valedictorian delivers scorched-earth graduation speech
By Lia Eustachewich
June 13, 2019 | 4:00pm | Updated June 13, 2019 | 4:28pm
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A California valedictorian delivered a scorched-earth graduation speech in which she thanked her guidance counselor for having "absolutely no role in my achievements" and a teacher who was "regularly intoxicated during class."
Sardonic senior Nataly Buhr didn't mince words in her speech to San Ysidro High School's class of 2019 last Thursday, according to video posted by CBS 8.
She started by thanking, in earnest, her "hard-working" parents before launching into a tongue-in-cheek tirade.
"To my counselor, thanks for teaching me to fend for myself. You were always unavailable to my parents and I, despite appointments," Buhr deadpanned while dressed in a white cap and gown. "Only in these past few weeks, with the awards ceremonies and graduation coming up, did you begin making your appearance."
She added, "And might I note, you expressed to me the joy in knowing that one of your students was valedictorian when you had absolutely no role in my achievements."
The plucky teen also gave a shoutout to the "staff in the main office" for teaching her to be "resourceful."
"Your negligence to inform me of several scholarships until the day before they were due potentially caused me to miss out on thousands of dollars," she said.
Buhr drew thunderous applause from her fellow seniors when she brazenly called out "the teacher who was regularly intoxicated during class this year."
"Thank you for using yourself as an example to teach students about the dangers of alcoholism," she said, as students snickered. "Being escorted by police out of the school left a lasting impression. I hope that future students and staff learn from these examples."
"Thank you, class of 2019," she concluded over her classmates' cheers.
Unsurprisingly, school officials were not pleased with the stunt.
"We think that the student's speech was inappropriate and out of line," Manuel Rubio, a spokesman for the Sweetwater Union High School District, told the San Diego Tribune on Tuesday.
He said he couldn't comment on specific personnel issues.
The speech Buhr delivered was not the one she submitted for approval before graduation, Rubio added.
"While we definitely welcome the concerns of students and their families regarding any situation at one of our schools, doing so in such a manner without any prior knowledge of this situation by the school, is not the right way of handling this," he said. "Ultimately this takes away from what should have been a day of celebration for the school and their community."
Filed under california , graduation , speeches , teachers
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