Here's a question for the Devoted Readers of N2P - would any article on this topic be inappropriate for a high school paper? Or are there degrees of inappropriateness here?
Some Noblesville High School students say they are being censored after the superintendent of Noblesville schools decided that the school paper will not be allowed to run a controversial article on oral sex. Superintendent Dr. Lynn Lehman said the piece was not appropriate for publication in the Mill Stream, the school's paper.The article had been placed on hold earlier this month after Noblesville High School principal Anetta Petty said an oversight committee needed to review it before publication. "I think it's well written and in context, I don't think that this subject would offend people," said Jill Gingery, the paper's editor-in-chief.
I'd like to point out to Miss Gingery that everything will offend someone, as the recent Mohammed cartoon controversy makes crystal clear. Often, the point with information in a school newspaper is not whether it's offensive - or, rather, that shouldn't be the point - but whether the article/speech has any educational value. If it's merely prurient - or if, as one student is quoted saying, it doesn't tell students anything they don't already know - then why should the school allow it to be published?
Posted by kswygert at February 24, 2006 02:38 PM