VALEDICTORIAN IS MAKING
HEADLINES LATELY BECAUSE OF
HIS SPEECH TO HIS GRADUATING
CLASS NOT ONLY FOR WHAT HE
SAID BUT ALSO WHAT HE DID IT.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> AFTER I CAME OUT AS
FRESHMAN YEAR I SO ALONE. I
DIDNT KNOW WHO TO TURN TO FOR
SUPPORT.
♪
>> THAT WAS 18 YEAR-OLD BRYCE
SPEAKING TO THE 450 MEMBERS OF
HIS CLASS AND THEIR FAMILIES
ABOUT HIS COMING OUT JOURNEY.
IT TOOK AWAY. THE PAPER IS A
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR AND NOW
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS ITS
ASKING THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION TO INVESTIGATE TO
DETERMINE WHETHER THIS WAS A
CASE OF DISCRIMINATION. AND
JOINING US NOW IS BRYCE
DERSHEM. BRYCE, WE APPRECIATE
YOU BEING HERE TODAY AND
TALKING TO US.
>> LET ME ASK YOU FIRST, JUST
SORT OF WALK US THROUGH WHAT
HAPPENED ON STAGE IT SEEMED TO
SOME PEOPLE LIKE MAYBE AN
EQUIPMENT FAILURE. BUT WHAT
EXACTLY HAPPENED ON STAGE.
>> YES. SO I WAS GIVING MY
SPEECH AND EVERYTHING SEEMED
TO BE GOING FINE. AND THEN ALL
OF A SUDDEN AS SOON AS I SAID
THE LINE AFTER I CAME OUT AS.
MY MIKE WAS CUT AND THEN THE
PRINCIPAL CAME UP ONTO THE
STAGE. AND AND YOU KNOW, IN
FRONT OF AUDIENCE OF 450 CLASS
MEETS IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE
STADIUM. 2000 PEOPLE. IT TOOK
THE SPEECH I HAD WRITTEN MANY
CRUMBLED HIS HANDS AND SHE
THEN TRIED TO PAY IT OFF US
AND MAKE CHANGE. BUT YOU CAN
SEE IN THAT VIDEO THE PEOPLE
ARE, YOU KNOW, GOING WITH AS
HE WALKS OFF. DID HE SAY
ANYTHING TO US AS HE.
>> PICKED UP TO SPEECH. SURE.
THE MIKE.
>> YEAH. HE TOLD ME I WAS READ
THE SPEECH THAT HE HAD PRETTY
MUCH RUN FOR OR NOTHING ELSE.
>> OKAY. SO IT LOOKED LIKE IN
EQUIPMENT THING AND I MIGHT
CHANGE BUT YOU KNOW, CLEARLY
BASED ON YOUR ACCOUNT OF WHAT
WAS SAID TO THE PODIUM. I
MEAN, WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU
HAVE TO SHOW YOUR SPEECH TO
THE SCHOOL HAS PREVIOUSLY
AGREED UPON WHY DID YOU DECIDE
TO TO VEER AWAY FROM THAT
VERSION.
>> SO IN FEW DAYS LEADING UP
TO GRADUATION. THE PRINCIPAL
TOLD ME THAT I WAS, YOU KNOW,
EITHER GOING TO HAVE TO REMOVE
ALL MENTIONS OF ME BEING AND
ALL MENTIONS OF MY STRUGGLES
WITH MENTAL HEALTH OR ELSE. I
WASNT ALLOWED TO SPEAK
GRADUATION AT ALL. AND I
THOUGHT I COULD HAVE DESTROYS
TO KNOW WHETHER I SHOULD HONOR
THE POLICE SYSTEMS. AND YOU
KNOW, THE VALUES CALL TO BE
OVER THESE PAST YEARS AND AND,
YOU KNOW, GOING THE TREATMENT
OR QUESTION YOU KNOW,
SACRIFICE OF THOSE TO FOLLOW.
>> YOU KNOW, THE
ADMINISTRATION ON A SPEECH
THAT DIDNT FEEL LIKE ME AT
ALL.
>> BRYCE WHAT SORT OF RESPONSE
DID YOU GET FROM YOUR OF YOUR
FELLOW STUDENTS. THE
GRADUATING CLASS THERE FROM
PARENTS FROM MANY OF THE
FACULTY MEMBERS.
>> I GOT THE MOST AMAZING
RESPONSE AND THAT WAS THAT IN
THE SPEECH WHEN YOU HAND, IT
JUST BROKE MY HEART BECAUSE
THAT WAS THE EXACT KIND OF
THANKS TO AND IDENTITY REMOVAL
THAT I WAS TRYING TO PLAY
AGAINST AND SO TO HEAR ALL OF
MY CLASSMATES AS I WAS UP
THERE, YOU KNOW, CHANTING TO
LET ME SPEAK AND THEN
AFTERWARDS AS I WAS FINISHING
JUST THOUGH THRONG MOTION
INVULNERABILITY AND JUST, YOU
KNOW, ON THAT IT IS TO SEE
THEM. STAND UP AND GIVE ME A
STANDING OVATION. JUST TOTALLY
WANT MY HEART BECAUSE KNOW
LIKE IT IS 2021 AND WE CANT
YOU KNOW, THIS ISLANDS, THIS
ARE FIGHTING AGAINST IT NOW.
YOU KNOW, WERE STANDING UP
FOR, YOU KNOW, ALL IDENTITIES
INTO WHAT WE TRULY BELIEVE
INCHES IN THE CITY AND HOPE
AND LOVE.
>> RIGHT WHAT YOU IT TOOK A
LOT OF AND JUST WANT TO ASK
YOU REAL QUICK. WE ONLY HAVE A
FEW SECONDS LEFT WITH YOU, BUT
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE
DISTRICT NOW ASKING THE
DEPARTMENT HAD TO LOOK INTO
THIS.
>> I DONT KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, HOW THE
INVESTIGATION PROCESS WORKS OR
EXACTLY WHAT IT IS TO REALLY,
YOU KNOW, MAKE A DEFINITIVE
COMMENT. IM NOT. BUT. YOU
KNOW, I GUESS FORESEE WHEN IT
COMES TO IN THE END.
>> PRICED OR SHOULD WE REALLY
APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US. IT
WAS NOT SO NICE TO TALK TO
YOU. THANKS SO MUCH. THANK YOU
SO MUCH.
>> THAT WE SHOULD MENTION THAT
WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE
EASTERN CAMDEN COUNTY REGIONAL
SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE HAVE NOT.
ACTUALLY JUST HEARD BACK A FEW
MINUTES AGO. THEY ISSUED THE
FOLLOWING STATEMENT EASTERN
CAMDEN COUNTY REGIONAL HIGH
SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BEEN
TAKING PAINS TO BE COMPLETELY
TRANSPARENT THROUGHOUT THIS
PROCESS. SOMETHING THAT SEEMS
TO BE MISSING IN NEWS
ACCOUNTS. FOR INSTANCE, THE
EASTERN CAMDEN COUNTY REGIONAL
HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS EVEN
PROACTIVELY ASKED
INAPPROPRIATE STATE GOVERNMENT
AGENCY TO CONDUCT AN
INDEPENDENT REVIEW. IT IS
DISTRICT POLICY AND PROCEDURE
THAT ALL STUDENT GRADUATION
SPEAKERS RECEIVE SCHOOL
APPROVAL ON GRADUATION
ADDRESSES MUTUAL AND AMICABLE
APPROVAL WAS REACHED ON ALL
SPEECHES AT THE 2021