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A high school valedictorian turned the heads of fellow graduates at a ceremony in North Carolina over the weekend when part of his speech was perceived by some as a reference to antisemitism — even prompting another student to later take the mic and speak out.At the Hoggard High School graduation ceremony in Wilmington on June 6, valedictorian Kyler William Hosek ended his speech with a quote: "As my biggest inspiration once said, 'Every human being has something of value that they bring to the table.'"Hosek didn't name who his "biggest inspiration" was. But fellow graduate Sara Haley Rudeseal believed the quote was a reference to an antisemitic comment made years ago by the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and grabbed the microphone to let the audience know, reported the Wilmington StarNews, part of the USA TODAY Network.Before she could finish the quote, the mic was cut.The incident is the latest example of controversy at a graduation as the season for commencement ceremonies for high schools and colleges across the country continues. At another North Carolina high school graduation, a valedictorian was stopped during her speech when she went off script with comments related to Palestine and immigration enforcement in the United States. Ceremonies in Arizona, Tennessee and Florida were disrupted when audiences booed the mention of artificial intelligence.In the Hoggard High School case, Hosek's speech was reviewed and approved before the graduation, according to the school district. The district didn't notice anything wrong when it pre-approved the speech, but regretted that it was taken negatively, said New Hanover County Schools Superintendent Christopher R. Barnes.Here's what happened:Student says speech was a reference to antisemitic quoteAbout an hour after Hosek's speech, as diplomas were being given out, Rudeseal grabbed the microphone and spoke to the crowd, before her microphone was cut off, reported the StarNews."Valedictorian Kyler William Hosek quoted a 2022 interview with Kanye West from 'InfoWars,'" Rudeseal said. "What Kyler forgot to do was finish the quote."The microphone was then cut off before Rudeseal could continue.The quote Rudeseal appeared to be referring to came from a 2022 interview with Ye by Alex Jones on the now defunct "InfoWars" website.The quote said at the graduation closely resembles one spoken by West in the controversial interview, in which the artist went on to specifically name Hitler, among other antisemitic statements.The controversy over Hosek's speech has drawn national scrutiny.Rudeseal told the StarNews in an interview that graduating Hoggard students began reacting to Hosek's speech via text message shortly after he finished.After Hosek's speech, Rudeseal said her friend texted her, saying, "That was crazy."Rudeseal said her friend, who is Jewish, has been subject to antisemitic remarks in the halls of Hoggard. "She'd heard (the quote) before. She's had it yelled at her."Students began texting back and forth, Rudeseal said, summarizing some of the messages: "This is insane. That he stood up there as valedictorian and said that quote."As she stood in line to get her diploma, Rudeseal said, she decided to act."If nobody said anything, it just would've been hushed up," she said.Graduates are supposed to hand the announcer a card with their name on it for the announcer to read, but "I just grabbed the mic" and spoke until her mic was cut off, she said.Rudeseal said Hoggard Principal Christopher Madden instructed her to leave the stage without receiving her diploma. She said she received her diploma when she went to the school on June 8. Rudeseal said she'd like to see the valedictorian "take responsibility for what he said."Community calls for an explanation about the speechHosek and his parents did not respond to multiple attempts to reach them by the StarNews.According to local station WWAY, Hosek’s family provided the news outlet with a statement that described his speech as "a positive outlook on the future of AI, emphasizing the growing opportunity for all of us to make profound societal achievements in the future, that we all have something to offer and contribute, and that everyone has value."Neither Hosek's speech nor his family's statement mentioned the name of the person he called his "biggest inspiration."Asked about Hosek's speech, New Hanover County School Board member Tim Merrick said, "I don't want to assume he was blowing a dog whistle, but I'd like for him to clarify."Merrick added that "I respect (Rudeseal's) willingness to speak out against something she thought was wrong."Barnes, the district superintendent, said in a statement that the district rejects any "messages of hate, discrimination, antisemitism, or other harmful ideologies.""I regret the concern and distraction this situation has caused," Barnes said. "As part of our established process, the speech underwent the district's standard review procedures, including a review of the speech in its entirety. While the district did not identify any connection during the review process, we understand that some members of our community perceived the language differently."Barnes added that "our goal is to ensure that graduation ceremonies remain focused on celebrating students, honoring their accomplishments, and bringing our community together."John Staton is the arts and culture reporter for the StarNews. You can reach him at jstaton@usatodayco.com.
