Karmelo Anthony, charged with murder, will get HS diploma in 'moment of dignity' — but won't walk commencement stage: Report



Karmelo Anthony — the Texas high school senior charged with murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet last month — will graduate from Centennial High School and receive his diploma but won't participate in commencement activities, WFAA-TV reported, citing the Next Generation Action Network, an organization advocating for Anthony.

Police arrested Anthony and charged him with first-degree murder after Metcalf was fatally stabbed April 2 at Kuykendall Stadium. Anthony has been on house arrest since his April 14 release from jail, when a judge lowered his bond from $1 million to $250,000. Days later, Anthony reportedly was moved to an undisclosed location after court approval over an "alarming increase in death threats."

'I want to be clear. No student who commits a serious criminal offense (Title V felony) is permitted to participate in the graduation ceremony.'

The NGAN in a news release said Anthony's family reached an agreement with the Frisco Independent School District in which Anthony can graduate without having to attend the final six weeks of classes, after having completed the necessary credits, WFAA reported. However, Anthony won't "participate in any senior graduation activities," the station said, citing the release.

Dominique Alexander, the president of NGAN, called Anthony's graduation "a moment of dignity for Karmelo and a reminder of the power of advocacy done right," WFAA said.

Dominique AlexanderPhoto by Montinique Monroe/Getty Images

Alexander made headlines when he called Jeff Metcalf — the father of murder victim Austin Metcalf — "disrespectful" for showing up at an April 17 news conference for the Anthony family. After Dallas police were called to the news conference, Jeff Metcalf was seen departing the venue.

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- YouTube youtu.be

Alexander told those gathered at the news conference that Metcalf "was not invited," that "he knows that it's inappropriate to be near [the Anthony] family," and that his presence at the news conference not only "shows you all" his "character" but was also "a disrespect to the dignity of his son."

RELATED: Father of Austin Metcalf swatted just minutes after he was kicked out of Karmelo Anthony family news conference

Alexander also ripped the Frisco ISD at the news conference, claiming district officials were intending to expel Anthony prior to graduation.

The Frisco ISD at the time provided Blaze News with the following statement when asked to comment on Alexander's claim that the district intended to expel Anthony:

While Frisco ISD cannot comment on an individual student's disciplinary record due to student privacy law, we can provide general information about District protocol and relevant law.

If a student in Frisco ISD is charged with a serious crime, called a Title V felony, the District looks at the case and decides if the student should be disciplined. The student and their parents will get a letter explaining what the school recommends.

If the school recommends expulsion, which means the student is removed from school, the student is not allowed to go on any Frisco ISD property while the decision is being made. A meeting will be held where the student can share their side of the story and show any evidence. After the meeting, the District will decide whether to go through with the expulsion and will let the student and parents know.

If the student is expelled, they might still get schoolwork and education through a special program called JJAEP. If the student has already finished everything needed to graduate, the district may let them graduate early instead of going to JJAEP. Whether the student is expelled or chooses to graduate early, they still can't go on any Frisco ISD property.

WFAA said the school district gave much the same response — citing privacy laws — in regard to the NGAN's insistence that Anthony will graduate and receive his diploma.

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However, Frisco ISD Superintendent Mike Waldrip wrote an email to Centennial High School staff, students, and families that some news outlets falsely reported that Anthony would walk the stage on graduation day, WFAA said.

"Frisco ISD has learned that misinformation is being shared regarding Centennial High School’s graduation via several media outlets and perpetuated through social media. It is disheartening that the incredible accomplishments and achievements of our Centennial seniors may be dampened by needless fear-mongering, attention-seeking, and media vitriol. Our students, staff, and community deserve better," the letter stated, according to the station.

More from the letter, according to WFAA:

I want to be clear. No student who commits a serious criminal offense (Title V felony) is permitted to participate in the graduation ceremony. Additionally, anyone who trespasses on Frisco ISD property or at a District event will be subject to immediate removal and possible arrest by law enforcement.

Frisco ISD does not condone violence or crime in our schools or at our events and will not reward or celebrate those who hurt others. We work to ensure every student is safe to learn and feels part of our culture of respect, honor, and integrity.

Let’s come together as a community to honor and support our students and staff. This moment is about their success, and they deserve our full attention and encouragement. Congratulations to the Centennial Class of 2025!

Soon after the April 2 stabbing, the arresting officer said Anthony reportedly told him, "I was protecting myself," before the officer questioned him about the incident, WFAA reported, citing the arrest affidavit.

Anthony also reportedly told the officer that Metcalf "put his hands on [him]," the station said, citing the affidavit, after which Anthony was handcuffed.

The arresting officer soon told a fellow officer arriving on the scene that he had the alleged suspect — and Anthony reportedly interjected, "I'm not alleged; I did it," WFAA reported.

A witness reportedly noted to police that Metcalf — an athlete for Memorial High School — told Anthony he had to move from under his team's tent, the station said, citing the affidavit. With that, Anthony opened his bag and reached inside, the witness told police, WFAA said.

"Touch me and see what happens," Anthony told Metcalf, the station added, citing a witness.

Metcalf reportedly touched Anthony, the witness told an officer, and Anthony told Metcalf to punch him and see what would happen, WFAA reported.

Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun Staff

The witness said Metcalf then reportedly grabbed Anthony, after which Anthony reportedly pulled out what the witness recalled as a black knife and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest before running away, according to the station, citing the affidavit.

Metcalf reportedly grabbed his chest and told others to get help, the witness told police, according to WFAA.

While Anthony was in the back seat of a police vehicle, an officer saw fresh blood on his left middle finger, the station said, citing the affidavit.

WFAA, citing the document, said that while Anthony was in the back seat of the vehicle, he also reportedly asked the officer if Metcalf was going to be OK. While being escorted to the squad car, Anthony asked an officer if his actions could be considered self-defense.

A GiveSendGo fund for Anthony sits at nearly $529,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Anthony's father contended in an interview with the New York Post that “everyone has already made their assumptions about my son, but he’s not what they’re making him out to be." Anthony's father added to the paper that his son "was not the aggressor" and is "a good kid. He works two jobs. He’s an A student, has a 3.7 GPA."

You can view a video report here on the case's latest developments.

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Oklahoma governor clarifies after comments about graduates joining Army after high school go viral



Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt clarified his vision for high school graduates in his state after a news report indicated that he wanted them to join the Army if they decided against college or trade school.

As 2024 drew to a close, Stitt began touting his "Classrooms to Careers" initiative, a series of measures that have given parents a $7,500 tax credit for school choice and allowed high school students to study financial literacy, take classes that better suit their college or career ambitions, and earn credit through relevant work experience.

During an interview about "Classrooms to Careers" with KOKH, Stitt further expounded on his plans for educating kids for the future.

"I’m thinking about even making it a requirement to graduate from Oklahoma high schools — you’ve got to either be accepted to college, you have to be accepted into a CareerTech, or you have to be going into the Army," he said, according to a clip of the interview. "You have to have some kind of plan post-graduation to go get a great job."

'I mean, enjoy the lawsuit.'

When KOKH summarized Stitt's statements in an article, however, it took his remarks "out of context," his office later claimed, and implied that he would force graduates into military service if they opted out of college or CareerTech.

In the original article, KOKH said:

Stitt announced Friday that he wants to prepare every student for success in the workforce. … He has some ideas to make this happen, like requiring students to graduate from Oklahoma high schools. Stitt also wants students to have to be accepted into a college. If not college, he says kids should be accepted into a CareerTech. Otherwise, Stitt says a student would have to be going into the army.

Critics pounced on the comments, accusing Stitt of breaking the law by making military service compulsory and of being insensitive to students with special needs and others who may not be well suited for college or trade school.

"I mean, enjoy the lawsuit," commented one X user. "This is a conversation for a child and their parent. Not for the government."

"Your plan is unenforceable, where do you think you’re living ?" said another.

Others on social media even implied "Classrooms to Careers" was some backdoor means of implementing Project 2025, a collection of policy suggestions from the Heritage Foundation for President-elect Donald Trump's second term. Even left-leaning outlet the Oklahoman admitted that possibility was "unlikely."

The backlash prompted a response from Stitt's office.

"The governor would love to see every high school student graduate high school with a plan for their future, whether that be college, CareerTech, military, or workforce," communications director Abegail Cave later said in an email to StateImpact.

"He in no way suggested that kids who don’t go to college would be mandated to serve in the military. ... It was a comment given in a broader discussion about education policy and workforce that was taken out of context in a news story."

KOKH later amended the article to add that Stitt's "office states he is not suggesting mandatory military service." It also added the following sentence at the very bottom, beneath even the readers' comments section: "Governor Stitt's Office wants to clarify that, as of right now, this is just an idea - not an initiative or plan."

KOKH did not respond to a request for comment from KGOU.

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Erasing All High School Standards Because Of Racism Is Actual Bigotry

The weird anti-racism of our time invokes harmful stereotypes that used to be uttered only by racists. Removing standards will make it impossible to evaluate whether a graduate’s diploma means anything at all.

Hillary Clinton, other leftists praise HS valedictorian's surprise, unapproved speech attacking pro-life 'heartbeat bill' in Texas



Paxton Smith — valedictorian of Lake Highlands High School in Dallas — had her graduation speech ready to go and approved by the school administration, D Magazine reported.

But Smith had something different in mind.

What happened?

The magazine said she couldn't stop thinking about the "heartbeat bill" that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law last month — which naturally attracted a certain amount of controversy. The measure prohibits abortions when babies' heartbeats are detected, which can occur as early as four to six weeks after conception.

In addition, the magazine said the measure — which goes into effect in September — makes no provision if pregnancies are the result of incest or rape, and that abortion rights activists have said it's the most restrictive law in the country.

So, instead of her approved speech, Smith read an unapproved speech attacking the "heartbeat bill." The magazine said she pulled a folded piece of paper from her bra and began to read:

Paxton Smith Speech at Lake Highlands Graduationyoutu.be

Here's the text of Smith's speech she read:

As we leave high school we need to make our voices heard. Today, I was going to talk about TV and media and content because it's something that's very important to me. However, in light of recent events, it feels wrong to talk about anything but what is currently affecting me and millions of other women in this state.

Recently the heartbeat bill was passed in Texas. Starting in September, there will be a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, regardless of whether the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest. Six weeks. That's all women get. ... Most of them don't realize that they're pregnant by six weeks. So before they have the chance to decide if they are emotionally, physically, and financially stable enough to carry out a full-term pregnancy, before they have the chance to decide if they can take on the responsibility of bringing another human being into the world, that decision is made for them by a stranger. A decision that will affect the rest of their lives is made by a stranger.

I have dreams and hopes and ambitions. Every girl graduating today does. And we have spent our entire lives working toward our future, and without our input and without our consent, our control over that future has been stripped away from us. I am terrified that if my contraceptives fail, I am terrified that if I am raped, then my hopes and aspirations and dreams and efforts for my future will no longer matter. I hope that you can feel how gut-wrenching that is. I hope that you can feel how dehumanizing it is to have the autonomy over your own body taken away from you.

And I'm talking about this today, on a day as important as this, on a day honoring 12 years of hard, academic work, on a day where we are all gathered together, on a day where you are most inclined to listen to a voice like mine, a woman's voice, to tell you that this is a problem. And it's a problem that cannot wait. And I cannot give up this platform to promote complacency and peace when there is a war on my body and a war on my rights. A war on the rights of your mothers, a war on the rights of your sisters, a war on the rights of your daughters. We cannot stay silent.

What happened next?

The magazine said a couple of administrators told Smith that the school could withhold her diploma — but as you might expect, nothing has come of that. She plans to attend the University of Texas in Austin.

What was the reaction?

Also as you might expect, leftists far and wide praised Smith's strident speech railing against a pro-life measure — including former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton who tweeted, "This took guts. Thank you for not staying silent, Paxton."

This took guts. Thank you for not staying silent, Paxton. https://t.co/DlwEgmMRGN

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) 1622651455.0

Many others expressed similar sentiments. Here are a few:

  • Feminist author Jessica Valenti tweeted that she's "in awe of young people."
  • Pro-abortion organization NARAL tweeted that "the future's looking bright."
  • And former Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis — a well-known Texas pro-abortion activist in her own right — thanked Smith for her "courage."
  • "Wow!" tweeted Democratic U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas. "Paxton Smith, you are a courageous, brilliant woman. Thank you for using your voice to shed light on the war on women's autonomy happening in Texas."

Public HS principal to valedictorian: Mentioning your Christian faith in graduation speech is 'not appropriate.' But valedictorian is fighting back.



A Michigan public high school principal is getting called out by a legal firm after telling one of the valedictorians that mentioning her Christian faith in her graduation speech is "not appropriate."

What are the details?

According to First Liberty, one section of the speech Elizabeth Turner prepared for Hillsdale High School's graduation ceremony next Thursday noted that "for me, my future hope is found in my relationship with Christ. By trusting in him and choosing to live a life dedicated to bringing his kingdom glory, I can be confident that I am living a life with purpose and meaning. My identity is found by what God says and who I want to become is laid out in scripture."

The legal firm said the school's principal, Amy Goldsmith, reacted by highlighting that paragraph, along with a second, and telling Turner that "you are representing the school in the speech, not using the podium as your public forum. We need to be mindful about the inclusion of religious aspects. These are your strong beliefs, but they are not appropriate for a speech in a school public setting. I know this will frustrate you, but we have to be mindful of it."

Image source: First Liberty

What happened next?

Apparently Turner got in touch with First Liberty, because the law firm said it sent a letter to Goldsmith informing her that she's "violating federal law, which permits private religious speech at school events, and demanding that she allow Elizabeth to reference her faith."

First Liberty also said that student graduation speeches constitute private speech, not government speech, and private speech is not subject to the Establishment Clause. The law firm added that Turner's statements "do not transform into government speech simply because they are delivered in a public setting or to a public audience."

The letter concludes by requesting that Goldsmith "allow Elizabeth Turner to express her private religious beliefs at the graduation ceremony on June 6, 2021. Please confirm that you agree to our request by Friday, May 28, 2021 at 5PM."

Anything else?

According to another document from First Liberty, Turner emailed Goldsmith regarding her requested changes and said "unfortunately I don't think I would be able to deliver a genuine speech under those circumstances. I don't agree that we should avoid the topic of tragedy and death because that is part of everyone's future. I understand what you are saying, but for me, this is a time for my peers and I to elevate our lives and to choose how we want to live since we're not promised tomorrow, and I don't want to write a speech that won't be meaningful just to check off the box. I believe it is celebratory to call people to a life of purpose and meaning and a call to action to live a life well. For me, my personal future relies on my faith, and I also want the freedom to be able to address that in my speech if the opportunity arises."

Fox News reported that Goldsmith did not respond to multiple requests for comment.