mil
06-07-2006, 05:35 PM
(Milwaukee) What better place to talk about Milwaukee's problems than to its future leaders on graduation night? Matthew Umstot, John Marshall High School's valedictorian, hoped to deliver an unusual graduation speech Tuesday. Umstot's original version addressed Milwaukee's problems with race relations, violent crime and low graduation rates at MPS. Umstot says he was threatened with being expelled from the ceremony if he delivered the speech.
Peter Rofes, an expert on First Amendment issues in public schools, says "...this is the stuff First Amendment litigation is made of." Since Umstot's speech did not contain vulgarity or encourage violence Rofes suggests his speech would have been protected by the First Amendment. Umstot ultimately says he gave in to administrators so he would graduate but he says he feels his civil rights have been violated.
A spokeswoman for MPS says the school district has no formal policy regulating the content of graduation speeches. She adds Umstot would not have been dragged out of his graduation ceremony had he delivered the more controversial speech.
http://www.fox6milwaukee.com/
Peter Rofes, an expert on First Amendment issues in public schools, says "...this is the stuff First Amendment litigation is made of." Since Umstot's speech did not contain vulgarity or encourage violence Rofes suggests his speech would have been protected by the First Amendment. Umstot ultimately says he gave in to administrators so he would graduate but he says he feels his civil rights have been violated.
A spokeswoman for MPS says the school district has no formal policy regulating the content of graduation speeches. She adds Umstot would not have been dragged out of his graduation ceremony had he delivered the more controversial speech.
http://www.fox6milwaukee.com/