Puyallup student journalists decry censorship - Blog #2

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/05/24/1198394/school-journalists-decry-censorship.html

Student journalists for the school newspaper at one of the high schools in Puyallup, WA are protesting a regulation that requires student work be previewed by a principal before publication. The students have given examples where parts of their stories were altered or deleted. School officials claim that due to a prior incident that created a lawsuit (they won, but must pay legal fees), they must have the final say in the school articles. The district is financially liable for any lawsuits that are incurred from student publications. Because of the new regulations, some of the student journalists are now self-censoring because they are afraid of offending others.

I feel bad for the kids at these newspapers. I understand that they want to be able to do high quality work that impacts their readers. They are trying to do stories on issues that other teens want to read. I think their teachers should be proud of how they are trying to fight for their case. Going to the board meeting, gathering public support (through Facebook), and creating media attention with their merchandise are all tactics that they would have to employ in the "real world". Although I understand the school district's fear of legal fees, I think they are undermining their program and failing their students. We also frequently preach to kids that doing the right thing is so important (even more than money), but we don't always back them up when they do it.

It would be interesting to know the reactions of the school and public librarians in the district and surrounding areas. Hopefully, they are providing public support. I think that we work so hard to defend our patrons' freedom to read, view, and access that sometimes we forget to defend their right of expression.

Free Speech Groups Protest GLBT Book-Banning at NJ School District-Blog #1

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6728872.html?industryis=47055

This article describes how a New Jersey school district banned a book after complaints from members in the community. The book relates coming out stories and the feelings of gay and lesbian youth on their identities. After reading the article, I am impressed at the way the NCAC and ACLU-NJ are handling the issue. They are trying to discover if the book was banned solely on its theme or if the school's reconsideration policy was followed.

Although school officials may feel a lot of pressure from parents and the rest of the community, it is very important that they remember the books in the library are for the students. While some people may not like the content, it could be very significant for others. Besides, if the school has a librarian on staff and a selection policy in place, then the principal and school board should support the decision of that librarian for choosing to include the book in the collection. I'm sure that on any controversial topic, the decision to include or not include a book is not made lightly. ACLU-NJ Executive Director Deborah Jones stated, "Educators and school librarians are the best qualified to determine what kinds of books and materials schools should keep in their libraries. Neither political groups nor parents have a right to impose their decisions, morals, or values on all students and families." To me, emphasis should be placed on that last sentence. What may be right for one family is not necessarily what is right for another. Removing this book infringes on the rights of others to view it. In addition, if the book contains material of educational value or fills a specific need of the student body, then it should stay in place. I would bet that there are several students that are gay, lesbian, or curious in that school, so the book would fulfill both requirements. There is no reason that I can see as to why it should be removed.

A Recent Brush with Attempted Censorship

Here are some links to articles about an attempt at censorship in my school district. A school board member complained about a book that AP English students were reading. At first, they pulled the book, but after the reconsideration process started, they returned the books to the students. I have included the original Indianapolis Star story along with the follow-up articles that describe the resolution.

Original article - http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20104290404

Follow-up - http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010100430028

Op-Ed - http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20105010321