Published Wednesday, June 2, 2021 10:58PM EDT DALLAS (AP) - A Dallas high school valedictorian scrapped a speech approved by her school administrators and delivered an abortion rights call in its place. Paxton Smith, the 2021 valedictorian at Lake Highlands High School, submitted to school officials an address on the effect of the media on young minds. But when she spoke at Sunday s graduation ceremony, she talked of what she called “a war on the rights” of her body and those of other girls and women by the “heartbeat bill” signed into law by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott a week and a half before.
Valedictorian Paxton Smith thought her microphone would be cut when she decided to speak against a recently-signed "heartbeat ban" abortion law in Texas.