SAN DIEGO — A high school graduation speech by the San Ysidro High School valedictorian made headlines around the world last month. On social media, many praised the valedictorian Nataly Buhr for speaking out against her teachers and counselors while others criticized the move. In the meantime, the Sweetwater Union High School District says it has been inundated by hate mail. Officials for the district are not responding and calling some of the claims made by the student “unfounded.”
Nataly’s speech included claims of a teacher being intoxicated in class and counselors being absent. After the harsh words were doled out, video of the speech quickly went viral online.
Now the Sweetwater Union High School District is attempting to set the record straight, saying that Nataly’s scathing claims were unfounded.
When it comes to the teacher she says was drunk on the job, according to the district, that teacher was actually going through a medical episode.
A statement released to News 8 reads in part:
"On that date, this teacher was taken from campus to see her treating medical professionals. Subsequent information provided by the teacher to the district indicated that she was experiencing a medical incident on this occasion that has since been resolved."
Regarding the counselor Nataly criticized for never being around, officials and students say that could have been because that counselor was grieving the loss of their child who had been killed last year in an accident.
Nataly spoke with News 8 by phone and responded with the following statement:
"I stand by what I said. Instead of reacting to internal complaints, the school ignored its students.
It later acknowledged an intoxicated teacher was unfit for work, regardless of alcohol or prescription drugs. it didn't replace her. And regarding the counselor, we sympathize with her family. She received school support, and GoFundMes, but no one supported students' needs before or after the incident. and there was no proper replacement during her absence.
They provided scholarship information too late. In my case, there was the Phil and Alice Creaser scholarship, which was a scandal raised by the UT in 2011."