[Oak Ridge] School paper pulled by officials

Knoxville News Sentinel ^ | 11/24/5 | BOB FOWLER

[SmithL]

OAK RIDGE - All 1,800 copies of the Oak Ridge High School student newspaper have been confiscated by school officials and won't be distributed to students, Superintendent Tom Bailey said Wednesday.

An article explaining birth-control methods and a two-page feature about tattoos and body piercing, complete with photos of students displaying their body art and piercing, prompted the move, Bailey said.

School officials made the decision late Tuesday to yank the latest issue of "The Oak Leaf'' from circulation at the recommendation of Principal Becky Ervin, Bailey said.

"The action of the principal was totally appropriate,'' Bailey said. "I would have done the same thing as a principal all the way to the end, whatever the end may be.

"The paper won't go out in the form that it's in right now.''

He said the articles that sparked concern will be deleted, and the newspaper will be reprinted.

"What a horrible civics lesson they are providing our next generation of citizens,'' said Mike Hiestand, an attorney with the Student Press Law Center.

That nonprofit organization provides free legal help to high school and college student journalists.

"It doesn't sound to me like there is anything in the articles that is unlawful,'' Hiestand said. "To cut off any article because you disagree with it, rather than talking about it, is an unfortunate lesson to pass on to these kids.

"The newspaper does exist as a public forum, and as a public forum, school officials really don't have a whole lot of control over censuring articles simply because they find them objectionable.'

"It's unfortunate that the school officials don't let the students talk about issues important to them in a meaningful way."

Hiestand said a member of his organization would be talking with school officials after the Thanksgiving holiday.

"Hopefully, we will be able to persuade the school board to rethink this,'' Hiestand said. "If we don't, we help students find lawyers and go to court.''

The editor of the monthly student newspaper had a three-word reaction to the move by school officials: "I am outraged,'' Brittany Thomas said.

"I think the administration is being petty and ridiculous,'' the 17-year-old senior said.

"The thing is, the articles that I think they (school officials) are against are articles very similar to things we've had in the past.''

Brittany said she wrote a column in August 2004 about sex education similar to the latest article that irked administrators, and her effort won a first-place award in a Tennessee Press Association contest.

Brittany said the confiscated editions also contained an article advising the students to refrain from sex until marriage.

"Tattoos and piercings is something we do every year,'' Brittany said. "For it to be pulled out is ridiculous.''

Brittany said the student newspaper includes "advertisers with dated coupons.''

"Those advertisers are going to be upset that their coupons aren't getting out,'' she said.

[Mark was here]

Freedom of the press applies only to the publisher.

[little jeremiah]

Moral Absolutes Ping.

Happy Thanks Giving!

In the meanwhile, I'll do a few pings.

"Censorship Got Me Pregnant"

Gotta laugh at that. You mean no one ever told her that storks don't bring babies? These kids need (IMO): student uniforms, a little more disicpline, to get off the internet chat rooms, no R or X rated "entertainment", do a little more physical exercise, live with both parents who spend time with them, hopefully attend a house of worship, and realize that they are KIDS and don't get to call the shots.

Freepmail me if you want on/off this pinglist.

[bigsigh]

Let's see if I got this right. The kiddies parade around campus with tats, and studs and every other contraption through their skin for all to see, but you can't put an article about it in the student paper.