Bravo to Jem; boo to officials

Editor's note: This letter was addressed to Susan Duval, principal of F.W. Springstead High School, Spring Hill, and reprinted here at the author's request.

You have placed Springstead High School front and center locally, statewide, nationally by virtue of your ill-advised, inappropriate judgment regarding Jem M. Lugo, Class of 2009 valedictorian. Under your "yesterday" aegis, apparently the educators act like students and vice versa.

Our Hernando County newspapers say it all: Hernando Today, June 4, "Valedictorian ordered to rewrite speech;" Hernando Times, June 5, "From attitudes to platitudes;" Hernando Today, June 5, "A revisionist speech;" Hernando Today, June 6, "The reluctant First Amendment martyr;" each front-page story plus the St. Petersburg Times, June 6, "Banned speech finds wider audience" (i.e. radio stations from Vero Beach; Fargo, N.D.; and Toronto called Jem for interviews, as did producers from the CBS Early Morning Show according to reports; Hernando Times, June 7, appropriate comments from Jem - "Graduation is no longer about the students at all. It's about the school, proudly presenting another fine batch of perfectly acceptable programmed graduates to the rest of the community."

I say, bravo, bravo to Jem!

In my view, the quotation "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" by the internationally acclaimed Helen Keller suits Jem M. Lugo to the proverbial "T." Indeed, a further raison d'etre why the professional conduct of both you and faculty adviser Nancy Urling is inexcusable, if not precisely unforgivable. Fortunately, it would seem Jem is fortified by sound, decent parental guidance from Louis and Cathy Lugo, who are to be commended for their admirable forbearance under the most trying of circumstances.

You have reprehensibly attempted to stifle initiative, creativity, motivation, character and ambition in an exceptionally astute and intelligent teenager. You have done so when America is in desperate need of those all too rare qualities that Jem owns in profusion. Consequently, there remains the issue of competence insofar as your responsibilities as principal of Springstead High School are concerned; reminding that this is not the first time your actions as principal have caused a brouhaha.

My personal concern? How many "strikes" should you be allowed prior relegation to the "bench?" Hopefully, our Hernando County School Board will promptly evaluate your referenced performance and will take the appropriate remedial measures in the best interests of current and future Springstead High School students.

Chuck Schlakman

Spring Hill