A Shreveport graduate was escorted from the stage after being stopped mid-sentence during her valedictorian speech.

18-year-old Calvary Baptist Academy graduate Hailey-Lou Vaske was dismissed mid-speech by Superintendent Chad McDowell for going 'off script.' Vaske's friends and family say that she was doing what she felt was right.

Vaske says her 'off script' speech was triggered by an issue where Calvary's administration almost cost her a huge scholarship. She claims to have taken a "critical ACT test" last winter in an effort to earn a 4-year, $60,000 scholarship to Baylor University, but it was "mailed so late by Calvary's administration" that she almost lost it.

Family members can be heard yelling "let her talk" as Vaske was swiftly escorted out of the ceremony by a deputy.

She sat with KSLA and shared the final part of her speech that she was unable to finish.

But there are others, including administration and counselors that cause more distress than comfort by endangering scholarship opportunities, cause humiliation in front of peers and family and endorse behavior and actions only because of who you are and who you knew. How you gonna beat that?

Calvary Superintendent McDowell released a statement to the media explaining that students have fair warning that any deviation from approved speeches may cause them to be removed from the graduation ceremony.

Unfortunately, we had a student last night choose to ignore these instructions and therefore received the consequences.

Vaske and her family believe the drama may be far from over. If Calvary doesn't send her transcripts to Baylor by July her scholarship could be "in jeopardy." If that happens to be the case, her family is already prepared for a lawsuit.

Since Vaske was removed from the graduation ceremony, she did not walk with her classmates and, according to KSLA, hopes to receive her diploma in the mail soon.

 

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