Seventeen-year-old Lulabel Seitz was the first to graduate high school in her family and was valedictorian at Petaluma High School in northern California. Though, Seitz mic was abruptly cut in the middle of her valedictorian speech on June 2nd just as she was beginning to speak on alleged sexual assaults on campus, specifically her own, according to Huffington Post.
“The class of 2018 has demonstrated time and time again that we may be a new generation, but we are not too young to speak up, to dream and to create change, which is why, even when some people on this campus, those same people -” Seitz said right before school officials cut her mic.
When she realized her mic had been muted, Seitz moved to the end of the stage to continue her speech. All of her classmates proceeded to chant the phrase, “Let her speak” repeatedly as they stood and applauded.
Seitz told CBS San Francisco Station KPIX-TV that she was sexually assaulted by another student, and even by though she reported it, the school did not take action.
“The school continually censors students. It wasn’t an easy thing to do to go up there and say what I said or tried to say.”
She was warned by school officials to not discuss her assault in any way during her valedictorian speech, but she did it anyway, Seitz told CNN.
“They specifically told me not to mention how they handled my sexual assault case and other sexual assault cases in general,” she also told NPR.
Seitz published her full and uncensored speech on YouTube following the graduation ceremony, and it has since gained more than 200,000 views.
In the introduction of her video she writes, “The Petaluma High School Administration infringed on my freedom of speech and prevented a whole graduating class from having their message delivered. For weeks, they have threatened me against ‘speaking against them’ in my speech. Sometimes we know what’s right and have to do it despite the threats.”
So many on Twitter have shared their support for Seitz.
Lulabel Seitz is a fierce truth teller and they tried to silence her- don’t you understand sexual assault victims will be silenced no more???? High school valedictorian says speech was cut off when she began to talk about sexual assault https://t.co/3DXwng2nAe
— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) June 9, 2018
“Let her speak ...” - often a necessary refrain when women speak truth to power. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a good deal more from Lulabel Seitz as the future unfolds for this extraordinary young woman. #letherspeakhttps://t.co/WP7xRJRpMv
— Wendy Davis (@wendydavis) June 9, 2018
Her name is Lulabel Seitz, and she spoke up about her #MeToo story, and how the administration tried to silence her. #LetHerSpeakhttps://t.co/BaWIS818N0
— Klaudia Amenábar || #SWRepMatters (@kaludiasays) June 7, 2018
Pretending sexual harassment don't exist is shameful enough, but silencing a woman who uses her platform to defend herself and others - especially w/ as much grace as Lulabel Seitz - is cowardly. Thrilled to see that it didn't slow her down at all #MeToohttps://t.co/Y5BgDS6GWw
— Carolyn B. Maloney (@RepMaloney) June 11, 2018