A Kentucky high school student says he has yet to receive his diploma after he went off-script during his commencement speech and urged the audience to seek Jesus. Graduate Micah Price of Campbell County High School in Kentucky had received approval from school officials to thank his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at the beginning of his speech, according to WKRC Local 12, but he went further and spoke to the crowd. 

He is the Light, He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, Price said. Class, everyone in the audience today, I’m here to tell you if you don’t have any of those things in your life [and] you can’t seem to find the answer, then my Lord and Savior is your answer. He will give you the Truth, He will give you the Way and the Life.Price acknowledges that he deviated from the script. He also says he did not get his diploma.

I am in the wrong technically, because I went against Campbell County code, the rules, he said in a TikTok video. 

Superintendent Shelli Wilson told WKRC that Price will receive his diploma following a meeting with the principal.

All speakers were told that going off their submitted speech, or any unplanned choices at graduation, may have repercussions as they would at any school function, Wilson said.

The superintendent added, While I know, personally, that many of us are proud of this young mans beliefs and are practicing Christians ourselves, the principal has to consider the possibilities of students going off the planned program.

Meanwhile, Price says the situation has led to school leaders being threatened. Price is urging his supporters to react with love.

Anyone whos taking a hateful route to this, he said in a video, I please ask that you would just take a chill pill, take a time-out, because in 1 John, it talks about how it is absolutely impossible to consider yourself a Christian if you cannot love your brother or your neighbor.

Price is also requesting prayer.

If you truly consider yourself a Christian, be loving and just pray for me — that’s all I need. But thank you for the support. We will get the diploma [and] everything’s going to be fine.

Image Courtesy: GettyImages/XiXinXing 

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.