Say it again

When Naperville Central High looks back on the class of ’08, they won’t be lauding them for original thought. And while their graduating class valedictorian Steven Hankong Su might be embarrassed to have been caught plagiarizing his commencement address, he’s getting off a lot easier than the school principal, whose words of encouragement and praise were also lifted from someone else.

The community was first stunned, or at least offered fleeting distraction, by the news that the Naperville, Illinois, school’s principal, Jim Caudill, had lifted his speech to graduates from one delivered by a student 11 years ago. Before the wounds of that scandal could heal, school district Superintendent Alan Leis announced another such transgression had been discovered. At least half of valedictorian Hankong Su’s speech, it turns out, was lifted off the Net. While Hankong Su is being asked to return his valedictorian medal, the council said they will not strip him of his title. Caudill isn’t as lucky. The educator with 34 years’ experience and two years until retirement is being “reassigned.”

Allaying the fears of some heinous plot hatched by extremist plagiarists, Leis said he sees no connection between the two acts, but plans to “investigate this more.”

by Scott Saxon