The valedictorian of a Nova Scotia high school says she was barred from mentioning a classmate who died by suicide during her graduation speech.
“I didn’t even hesitate about putting him in it and something to remember him and honour him because I knew it was so important to everyone,” Cole Harbour District High valedictorian Abby Cenerini told CTV Atlantic.
But according to Cenerini , when she reached the podium to deliver her valedictorian address on June 27, the paper copy of the speech waiting for her had been edited to remove all mention of her late classmate.
“About 10 minutes before the ceremony started, a teacher came up to me,” Cenerini explained. “She’s the one who had worked with me on my speech and (she) just told me that the principal had told her to tell me that that part of my speech was against… (Halifax Regional Centre For Education) policy and that they had to take it out.”
Michael Stewart died by suicide on Jan. 21. He was only 17.
“This was tragic for many and my heart goes out to those who were most affected,” Cenerini said, reading from the 156-word section that was deleted from her speech. “I know sitting here today without one of your closest friends can’t be easy, but today when we walk across that stage to receive our diplomas, we bring Michael with us.”
Although school administration could not be reached for comment, the Halifax Regional Centre For Education told CTV Atlantic that when it comes to difficult topics like suicide, schools rely on advice from experts. One such expert is Halifax-based physiatrist Dr. Stan Kutcher.
Kutcher, who specializes in adolescent mental health, says that people should always be mindful of everyone in an audience when talking about sensitive topics like suicide.
“In any large group of people there may be young people who are at risk,” Kutcher told CTV Atlantic. “It’s not just good enough to think, ‘How will the average person react to what we’re discussing?’ But to think carefully about how and what we are doing (will) impact who may be most at risk.”
Cenerini’s speech, however, did not mention suicide at all. And school administration, she added, had a copy of her speech for about a month before graduation. She wishes they would have approached her earlier so they could have worked on that part of the speech together.
A day after the ceremony, Cenerini posted the full text of the original speech online. Stewart’s family told CTV Atlantic that they appreciated Cenerini’s thoughtfulness.
“I just wanted them to know that I had him in my thoughts,” Cenerini said. “I thought he deserved that.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Brown
