Roommates, a high school valedictorian in Dallas is accusing her principal of intentionally having her microphone cut off during her graduation speech on Saturday, after she mentioned some significant names.
According to NBC News, Emmett J. Conrad High School senior Rooha Haghar shared a video of her commencement speech on Twitter. In the video, you can hear Rooha speak about gun violence, and the lives lost at the hands of police officers.
“To the kids that were murdered in senseless mass shootings. To Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and all the other children who became victims…,” she said before her microphone was muted.
Rooha taps the microphone multiple times in an attempt to finish her speech, with no success. She then returns to her seat as her classmates cheer her on.
Her principal, Temesghen Asmerom, then approaches the microphone and addresses the audience.
“My valedictorian speech was cut short because I said the names of black children who had become victims of police brutality,” Rooha tweeted. “Our principal signaled for my mic to be turned off as soon as I said ‘Trayvon Martin and Tamir Rice’ and played it off as a technical difficulty, pathetic.”
Although Principal Asmerom has not commented on the situation, the Dallas Independent School District released a statement saying:
“In Dallas ISD, we educate leaders of tomorrow and encourage student voices, and we are looking into this matter.”
Rooha told NBC she showed a copy of her speech to Principal Asmerom before the ceremony and he demanded she remove Trayvon and Tamir’s names because it was too political.
“I never expected them to not allow me to finish, because at the end of the day, schools want to raise socially conscious students, students who are able to think for themselves. That’s what I was doing,” she said.
The School District is currently looking into matter as Rooha continues to advocate for those effected by gun violence.
