SEAFORD, Del. - High school graduation speeches are meant to be a pleasant and memorable experience but for one valedictorian, it will forever be a bittersweet. This is after she got muted halfway through her speech when addressing racism and discrimination she experienced in school.
Seaford School District says this happened after realizing the student was reading a speech they didn't approve of. However, Yeraldin Torres-Landero felt it was important she was heard.Â
"I particularly have faced discrimination in life and education I have encountered blatant racism prejudice and criticism to reconstruct divisions society has created," said Torres-Landero during her graduation ceremony just moments before the microphone was turned off.
Torres-Landeros says she thought the sound issue was a mistake at first.Â
"I turned around and spoke to her she told me to read her speech, the speech on the podium, or my mic won't be turned on," said Torres-Landeros.
The Seaford School District said they cut the mic when she went off-script.
The school did not accept an interview but sent WRDE a statement that read in part:
"We regret that we had to briefly interrupt her graduation speech by speaking to her privately, but as administrators, we had to follow guidelines. Yeraldin appeared to ignore the speech that she and school administrators had jointly reviewed and approved."Â
Torres-Landeros says she agreed to work with the school but did not receive the updated script from the principal until graduation day.
"Upon looking at the speech she gave me, she erased all my parts where I talk about my own experiences and so I feel as if my voice was not being heard nor did I have the chance to change this or voice my concerns with her," explained Torres-Landeros.
The Seaford School District says they embrace diversity and "...reject acts that discriminate or diminish others. We provide many opportunities and indeed encourage students' rights to express their ideas freely,"
Torres-Landeros hopes to move on from this experience as she prepares to go to college, but hopes this will allow for more open discussions about race in schools.
"When the topic of race comes up they don't really want to talk about it they want to change the subject I think it's something that should openly be expressed," said Torres-Landeros.
SSD says in a statement: "We work hard at helping all our students value the richness and context a diverse school community provides. We do not always get it right but we never stop trying."
The school says they turned the microphone back on once the speech matched up with the approved copy they had.
Torres-Landeros is off to New York to pursue a degree in medical science.