Redesigned school paper distributed, SPJ condemns censorship

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — A censored version of Oak Ridge High School’s student newspaper was distributed Wednesday, drawing criticism from a national journalism group.

A column on birth control that offended administrators was substituted by students with an editorial about a recent school play, “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

The redesigned Oak Leaf also omitted, at administrators’ request, photographs of students baring tattoos and piercings accompanying an article on body art.

“This is an example — a bad example — of school officials censoring news content simply because they disagree with it,” said David Carlson, president of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Administrators seized all 1,800 original copies of the student-produced monthly newspaper a week ago before they could reach students.

Editor Brittany Thomas said Wednesday that students have not given up. “We still are saying they don’t have the right to censor us,” she said.

Superintendent Tom Bailey said the administration’s action was “appropriate” considering the “graphic nature of the articles.”

The students plan to meet with a lawyer about whether to sue the school system for violating First Amendment guarantees to a free press, Thomas said.

Meanwhile, she said, “We are hoping that we can convince the administration that we have the right to remain uncensored in the future.”

The next issue of The Oak Leaf is scheduled to print a week before Christmas.