North Carolina’s Hoggard High School’s 2026 valedictorian, Kyler Hosek, has spoken out after a remark in his graduation speech on June 6 made national headlines.
In his address, Hosek quoted a line from Kanye West‘s 2022 sit-down with Infowars founder Alex Jones, telling graduates: “As my biggest inspiration once said, ‘Every human being has something of value that they bring to the table.’”
Later in the ceremony, classmate Sara Rudeseal argued that the quote was inseparable from its original context, noting that West’s full statement included praise for the German totalitarian responsible for harming Jews.
She accused Hosek of promoting antisemitic views, but he has rejected those allegations, expressing that the ensuing controversy has left him feeling “distressed.”
The Hoggard High valedictorian responded to allegations stemming from his graduation speech
Image credits: New Hanover County Schools/YouTube
“I am distressed that a quote used in my speech distracted from the message I intended to share,” Hosek told WECT, an NBC-affiliated television station serving Wilmington, North Carolina, on Tuesday, before fiercely condemning antisemitism.
“Those beliefs do not reflect my values,” he said.
Image credits: New Hanover County Schools/YouTube
“My speech was about hope and optimism. As my classmates and I start a new chapter in our lives, I wanted to encourage them to remember that every person has value and that we all have the ability to make a positive difference in the lives of others,” the valedictorian explained.
He lastly extended a plea to people to consider his “remarks in their entirety and extend the same grace and understanding” to him that he would show to others.
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Hosek spoke about how graduates can succeed in the world of artificial intelligence before making the remark that upset Rudeseal, leading her to grab a microphone and walk on stage.
As she repeated West’s phrase in front of the crowd, alongside the controversial German leader’s name, the school’s principal escorted her out of the spotlight.
Rudeseal said she was handed her diploma in isolation while blasting school officials for what she described as negligence in vetting Hosek’s speech.
The school addressed her concerns while denouncing messages of hate
“To give the valedictorian a speech like that and give him a place to say those things, and nobody act like they’re gonna do anything about it or stop it — especially through a public school, where it should be run through all sorts of things to make sure that it’s okay to say — doesn’t feel right to just let go by like that,” Rudeseal told WECT in her statement.
Image credits: New Hanover County Schools/YouTube
“The fact that he said the entire quote and just omitted the last two words, which were praising a crazy totalitarian, was really wrong,” she added.
“The school boards need to be better about vetting their speeches.”
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Dr. Christopher Barnes, the school’s superintendent, confirmed that Hosek’s remarks were reviewed by the officials.
“As part of our established process, the speech underwent the district’s standard review procedures, including a review of the speech in its entirety,” he told the outlet.
Image credits: New Hanover County Schools/YouTube
“While the district did not identify any connection during the review process, we understand that some members of our community perceived the language differently,” he added.
Dr. Barnes ultimately expressed that the school condemns “any messages of hate, discrimination, antisemitism, or other harmful ideologies associated with any individual public figure.”
Public reaction to the incident has been mixed, with some applauding Rudeseal for showing alertness and others sympathizing with Hosek
“The valedictorian was clearly using his platform to send a message. The kid called Kanye West — an absolute lunatic — his inspiration, and then repeated the exact hate quote he used. Kudos to the young lady for intervening,” one said.
“We need more students like her,” a second voiced.
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“Wow, I have a great deal of respect for Sara Rudeseal. She made her voice heard when needed the most,” a third added.
A fourth, meanwhile, aimed at the school for making her feel wronged by not giving her her diploma on stage.
“She deserved better,” they said.
Image credits: Fox News/YouTube
Rudeseal’s critics, however, called her a “Karen” and accused her of stealing Hosek’s spotlight.
“One student’s desire to show everyone how smart she is and her need to be the center of attention ruined the experience for the valedictorian,” one remarked.
“The quote is a universal one and, in and of itself, contains no wrong meaning, so she simply ruined someone else’s big day,” a second noted.
“She was just sitting there waiting to lose her mind,” a third alleged, while a fourth advised her to “spend less time on Reddit.”
West drew widespread outrage for his statement in 2022, with Rabbi Marvin Hier telling CBS at the time, “It’s the most frightening thing that this is happening in the greatest country on the planet.”
“What we have to do is condemn it. We have to make sure these people are isolated and pay a price for stating it,” he added.
Anti-Defamation League Philadelphia officials said West’s comments were “not just vile and offensive. They could put Jews in danger.”
“She was right to call him out” — Netizens continue to debate Hosek and Rudeseal’s conduct
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