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2010-02-09

2010-01-19

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 12:00 PM

Crime article spurs talk of censorship at high school newspaper

School district says it respects student press, won’t restrict news coverage

By COURTNEY SERVAES, Herald Staff Writer

Dawn Rottinghaus is used to traditional front page stories — a welcome back story, a feature on foreign exchange students.

So when the editors of Wellsville High School’s student newspaper, The Eagle Cry, decided to run a city crime story about Chad McCracken — a Wellsville man accused of a number of drug-related crimes following an August arrest — she was a little hesitant.

“I’m not a firm believer that everything they want to put in the paper should be put in the paper,” Rottinghaus said.

The article, which came out in the September issue of the paper, was the topic of discussion during Monday night’s board of education meeting.

“I had several board of education members and community people ‘outraged’ because this was front page news in a school newspaper,” Wellsville Superintendent Denise O’Dea said about the article, which involved the father of three students who attend the school district. “The board of education wanted to discuss what schools can and cannot do with regards to a student publication.”

O’Dea said the board reviewed the First Amendment, including details and information she gathered from attorneys at the Kansas Association of School Boards.

The board cannot tell students to only write about school-related news, O’Dea said she told board members based on information she received.

“The board of education understood the issues surrounding student press and there was no action taken,” O’Dea said. “It was discussion only.”

Prior to the publication of this particular story, a disclaimer inside the newspaper stated that the content within the newspaper does not necessarily reflect that of the board of education or the school district. That disclaimer now has been moved to the front page of the newspaper and will run in every issue, O’Dea said.

The disclaimer reads: “The content printed in this newspaper is not necessarily the views of the USD 289 Board of Education, Wellsville School Administration or the newspaper adviser.”

Despite the bit of controversy surrounding the story, Rottinghaus said she supports her students — and the First Amendment that protects student newspapers like The Eagle Cry.

“I’m not a journalist,” Rottinghaus, who teaches business at Wellsville High School, said. “My ways of editing are to try to teach the kids how to write better and to teach them good layout.”

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