Hays High teacher apologizes
for Will Ferrell graduation speech
By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN
Mike Hester said one of Hays High School's teachers "made a mistake on the big stage, so he had to go back to the big stage to undo it."
Hester, principal at Hays High School, was referring to the speech HHS math teacher Jerett Pfannenstiel delivered at Sunday's graduation ceremonies at Gross Memorial Coliseum on the Fort Hays State University campus.
At Monday's Hays USD 489 Board of Education meeting, Pfannenstiel faced board members and apologized for the language he used in his speech and the failure to "cite his sources."
Large parts of the speech were similar or identical to that of a speech given by actor Will Ferrell at Harvard University's 2003 commencement.
"I will take this opportunity to learn and grow from my mistake," Pfannenstiel, in his fourth year of teaching at Hays High, told the board.
"I will assure you this will never happen again," he added. "My deepest apologies."
Hester said it's been a long-running tradition for a Hays High teacher, voted on by that year's seniors, to speak at graduation.
"Teachers have been our best solution to a tough issue to graduation speeches being appropriate and being representative of (USD) 489," said Hester, in his ninth year as HHS principal.
"The students are empowered because they get to pick the teacher."
While Pfannenstiel's speech was deemed "inappropriate," Hester said "we still believe that our teachers are our best solution to speaking at graduation," and he planned to continue that practice.
In addition to apologizing to the school board, whose meetings are broadcast live on Hays High's Channel 13, Pfannenstiel also issued an apology to the Hays High faculty this morning.
"He's representing us all when he speaks like that," Hester said of the apology to staff.
"He made a mistake and is sorry for it," Hester added. "He was willing to take care of it, and that's what we ask of anybody."
Hester said the graduation ceremonies will continue to be broadcast on Channel 13 as scheduled, minus Pfannenstiel's speech.
He added administrators did not see Pfannenstiel's speech beforehand "because we don't censor what every teacher teaches," so he saw no reason to do that for the graduation speech.