School Climate & Safety

Former NRA President Promotes Gun Rights at Fake Graduation Set Up by Parkland Parents

By Lisa J. Huriash, South Florida Sun-Sentinel — June 24, 2021 2 min read
David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, speaks during the CPAC meeting in Washington on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2010.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A former NRA president invited to give a commencement address to a school that doesn’t exist was set up to make a point about gun violence by an organization founded by the parents of a student killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Former NRA president and current board member David Keene delivered the commencement speech to more than 3,000 socially distanced chairs as part of what he thought was a rehearsal for graduation at James Madison Academy.

The speech was recorded by the nonprofit group Change the Ref, founded by Manuel and Patricia Oliver after their son Joaquin was killed at the high school in Parkland in February 2018.

The sea of empty white chairs was meant to represent high school students who should have graduated this year but were killed in gun violence.

Keene advocated for gun rights and the Second Amendment in his speech on June 4 in Las Vegas. He also urged fighting efforts to tighten gun restrictions.

“I’d be willing to bet that many of you will be among those who stand up and prevent those from proceeding,” he said in his speech.

Author and gun rights activist John Lott also spoke at the fake graduation.

Keene and Lott were told it was a rehearsal in the stadium, BuzzFeed News reported.

During their separate speeches, Lott and Keene called for gun-rights protections and discussed James Madison, the Founding Father who proposed the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

After filming, Keene and Lott were told the graduation was canceled because of a threat of violence, BuzzFeed reported. They had no idea it had all been a fake until a reporter told them, according to the report.

“I think it was brilliant,” said Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was among the 17 people murdered at Stoneman Douglas. He said the “one creative stroke” exposed the “hypocrisy” of the gun lobby telling “kids who should have been graduating this year, like my daughter, telling my daughter in the grave she should have big dreams.”

The Olivers started Change the Ref to raise awareness about gun violence and advocate for reform.

Last year, they baked 1,700 cookies in the shape of a small person riddled with holes, representing bullets and the 1,700 children killed by gun violence every year. Patricia Oliver planned to hand-deliver the baked goods to the NRA office outside of Washington, D.C.

Manuel Oliver could not be reached for comment on his cellphone Thursday, and a representative of Change The Ref did not respond to an email. NRA spokeswoman Amy Hunter said she did not have any comment Thursday.

“This campaign is not about tricking a couple of NRA members, it’s about showing how thousands of empty chairs during graduations, have become a normal American tradition,” Change the Ref said in a statement to NBC News.

Patricia Oliver told NBC News that Change the Ref released three videos on YouTube “to make a change to regulations on gun violence.”

Although the school the NRA was invited to — James Madison Academy —doesn’t even exist, there is a James Madison High School, but it’s in Brooklyn. Their commencement ceremony was Thursday.

Related Tags:

Copyright (c) 2021, South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How AI Use Is Expanding in K-12 Schools
Join this free virtual event to explore how AI technology is—and is not—improving K-12 teaching and learning.
Federal Webinar Navigating the Rapid Pace of Education Policy Change: Your Questions, Answered
Join this free webinar to gain an understanding of key education policy developments affecting K-12 schools.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School Climate & Safety Spotlight Spotlight on Enhancing School Safety and Emergency Response
This Spotlight will help you explore proactive measures and effective strategies for enhancing school safety and emergency response.
School Climate & Safety States Emphasize School Violence Prevention, Not Just Security
In the wake of school shootings in their states last year, legislators hope to avert future tragedies.
7 min read
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School, on Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa.
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School, on Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa. The deaths in school shootings last year have led to new legislation in a half-dozen states.
Charlie Neibergall/AP
School Climate & Safety Leader To Learn From One Leader’s Plan to Cut Chronic Absenteeism—One Student at a Time
Naomi Tolentino helps educators in Kansas City, Kan., support strong school attendance.
9 min read
Naomi Tolentino Miranda leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino Miranda showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Naomi Tolentino leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Erin Woodiel for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Q&A What a 'Positive, Proactive Approach' to Chronic Absenteeism Looks Like
A Kansas City, Kan., leader explains how her district shifted its approach to chronic absenteeism.
6 min read
Naomi Tolentino Miranda walks into J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino Miranda is the Coordinator for Student Support Programs and often visits school administrative teams to check on their progress combating chronic absenteeism among their students.
Naomi Tolentino walks into J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025, in Kansas City, Kan. Tolentino is the coordinator for student support programs and often visits school administrative teams to check on their progress in lowering chronic absenteeism among their students.
Erin Woodiel for Education Week