“Unfortunately, Jaisaan’s school did not allow him to give his valedictorian speech,” the mayor said in a video circulated on the city’s YouTube, Facebook and Twitter accounts. “For some reason, his school — in a country where freedom of speech is a constitutional right, and the city of Frederick Douglass — turned his moment of triumph into a time of sorrow and pain.”<doc-sep>A high school principal has retired after allegedly refusing to let the school’s first black valedictorian give a graduation speech. Jaisaan Lovett – a recent graduate of the University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men in Rochester, New York – told local outlets the school’s principal refused to let him speak at graduation, as is tradition for valedictorians. Instead, Mr Lovett found a friend in the town’s mayor, who let him speak at her office and posted video of the address online. On Monday, after video of the makeshift graduation speech went viral on social media, the charter school accepted the retirement of principal and founder Joseph Munno. “It is the Board’s responsibility to put the best interests of the school and its students at the forefront,” UPrep Board of Trustees President Edward Yansen said in a statement. “...Given the situation and considering the mission and values of UPrep, we have accepted [Mr Munno’s] retirement, effective Monday, July 9th.” The controversy started last week, when Mayor Lovely Warren posted footage of Mr Lovett’s graduation address on the city’s YouTube channel. In the video, Ms Warren says the teenager – an intern in her office, according to the Washington Post – was barred from giving his speech because of prior disagreements with the school principal. “For some reason, his school – in a country where freedom of speech is a constitution right, and the city of Frederick Douglass – turned his moment of triumph into a time of sorrow and pain,” she said, adding: “The is not a time to punish a child because you may not like what they say.” Mr Munno gave a different version of events to Spectrum News, saying Mr Lovett was asked if he wanted to give a speech weeks before the ceremony, but said no. He added that the student changed his mind about speaking just before the ceremony, and refused to supply a copy of his address. The former administrator could not be reached Monday for additional comment. Mr Lovett, who graduated at the top of his class and is headed to Clark Atlanta University on an academic scholarship, acknowledged that he’d had confrontations with Mr Munno in the past. In one instance, he told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, he led a five-day student strike when he claimed the school wouldn’t order necessary safety equipment for a lab. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. 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Jaisaan Lovett, the first African-American valedictorian at the University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men in Rochester, New York, was looking forward to delivering a graduation speech that would cap off years of hard work that earned him exemplary grades. The school, however, denied Lovett the opportunity to speak in front of his parents and classmates — and gave him and his mother no reason why — according to Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren. After learning of the school's decision, the mayor offered the young man, who had served as her intern previously, the chance to give his speech at City Hall instead. Jaisaan Lovett became the first African American valedictorian of the University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men in Rochester. City of Rochester Mayor's Office In a five and a half minute video posted to YouTube by the mayor’s office, Warren spoke briefly on the school's decision before handing the floor to Lovett. After thanking his parents, teachers and friends, Lovett delivered a message that addressed the decision that led him to speak at City Hall rather than at his own graduation. “This speech is about more than just me,” he said in the video. “It means a lot to everybody that I mean a lot to. And I’m here as the Uprep 2018 valedictorian to tell you that you couldn’t break me. And I’m still here, I’m still here strong.” Lovett, who will be attending Clark Atlanta University on a full scholarship this fall, also spoke about moving past his anger toward Munno and the school itself. Warren offered her own explanation of the situation. "I think it was personal between Jaisaan and the principal, which is why there is no reason," she said. Lovett once protested the safety conditions of a school lab, according to NBC 4 New York. Munno did not respond to phone calls or emails asking for comment from NBC News. NBC News reached out to Jaisaan's mother for comment but did not immediately hear back. This is not the first instance a high school graduate has been denied the opportunity to speak or cut off mid-speech.