A Kentucky high school graduate who raised the ire of school officials after he briefly went off script during a commencement speech about the hope found in Jesus Christ says he readily accepts the consequences and was simply obeying his Lord.

Officials with Campbell County Schools withheld Micah Price’s diploma for several days before presenting it to him after the May 24 speech, a version of which school officials had approved beforehand. The approved version included a thank you to “my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” but school officials had asked Price to strike further references to his faith. Price told reporters, however, that in the moment of the speech, he decided to go off script and include the comments he was asked to omit.

“Class, before another word leaves my mouth,” Price told the crowd, “I must give the honor, the praise, and the glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who in His very Word tells us that He is the light, He is the way, the truth, and the life. Class, everyone in the audience today, I’m here to tell you if you don’t have any of those things in your life, you can’t seem to find the answer, my Lord and Savior is the answer. He will give you the truth, the way, and the life.”

Price’s spiritual exhortation to classmates took up about 30 seconds at the beginning of his four-minute long speech.

In a social media video post, Price explained that a school official respectfully tapped him on the shoulder after the speech and told him that he had violated school policy.

“If anyone is in the wrong, it’s me. I went against school policies, school rules … because I serve a higher power, because I serve Christ. I do no one’s bidding but God. So if anyone’s in the wrong, I am. I deserve to get punished,” Price said after the incident.

In another video post, Price encouraged a Christlike approach for anyone angered by the response of school officials.

“Anyone that’s taking a hateful route to this, I please ask just, you know, take a chill pill, take a time out,” Price said, “because in John 1, it talks about how it is absolutely impossible to say you’re a Christian if you don’t love your brother or your neighbor.”

Franklin Graham said of Price in an X post: “You can’t help but like this guy. Micah Price just graduated from Campbell County High School in Kentucky. He went off his school-approved script for his graduation speech and shared more about Jesus Christ than he had submitted. But you know what, Micah also took responsibility and wasn’t angry about the repercussions. He said, ‘I agree…I went against the rules, I should be punished, and I should have my diploma held. But also, I simply cannot enter a place or building and not talk about my Savior and urge people to give their lives to Him.’ His speech about Jesus being the Light, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, was met with ‘thunderous applause and cheers’ according to the media. I love Micah’s heart and his boldness to share the Gospel with those around him. Congratulations Micah! And I’m thankful you now have your diploma! Keep on telling people about Jesus!”

Campbell County Superintendent Shelli Wilson told Cincinnati’s WKRC television news that “All speakers were told that going off their submitted speech, or any unplanned choices at graduation, may have repercussions as they would at any school function.”

Wilson added in a statement to the Washington Examiner: “While I know, personally, that many of us are proud of this young man’s beliefs and are practicing Christians ourselves, the principal has to consider the possibilities of students going off the planned program.”

Price told the Washington Examiner that school officials were just “doing their job” by disciplining him for going off script.

Originally, he was supposed to appear before the school board to explain his actions, but that was later rescinded after he met with his principal and received his diploma on May 29. Before that, he had told his friends on TikTok to “please stay home” when he was scheduled to appear before the board if they planned to attend “in defense of Micah.”

“But if you are going in defense of Christ and His Kingdom and in defense of His message and the Gospel, please, I beg you to go.”

According to multiple news reports, Price will enter the United States Air Force Academy this summer.

Photo: Screenshot / WKRC-TV Cincinnati