Ohio principal censors student obituary and photograph

A students free expression right in journalism can be a issue. In this case the principle of Stow-Munroe Falls High School in Ohio is censoring the student newspaper to prevent the publication of printing an obituary and photo of a recent student who was a suicide victim. They say it has been the schools policy for years to print a obituary and photo of a student of teacher who has passed away.

The editor and chief of the school newspaper said that the suicides victim's mother had wrote a letter to be printed in the newspaper, which was thanking her son's friends and telling them if they needed anything to come because the family would be there for support. Originally the principle said that it was OK and they could run the obituary and photo, however a couple days before the printed the principle insisted they pull the obituary and photo.They stilled ran the letter because the principle thought it was an effective way to show support for the students and family members. The victims mother then sent an email to the staff asking if any students want to include anything in it and 30 min later the principle said no. the principle thought if they would run the obituary and photo it could cause other students to commit suicide. The editor in chief thought it would of been the right thing to do saying they have done this for the other students that have passed away, it would be disrespectful to him if we didn't.

When i read this it blew me away, i mean that is not the right thing to do in that situation. If you right obituary's and put photos in for others that have passed away you should do the same even though he committed suicide. I mean it was the kids choice to do what he did, and if he would of died of a illness they prolly would of wrote a obituary and put in a photo. I think it would of done the students and family member better if they would of published it, that the respectful and right thing to do well actually its the humane thing to do. If i were to commit suicide i would want a obituary written about me. I wonder if a teacher were to commit suicide if they would write a obituary about them? I think the family and Friends would and should have more say in if they published an obituary, i mean they are the people they grew to love the kid and they know who he really was, and those people would put aside that he committed suicide in a time like that and remember the good memories they had when he/she was still alive. I think any high school newspaper should be allowed to publish an obituary unless the parents decide they don't want it in there because the students have the right to read about students and teachers that have passed away. however the family decision should overall come first before publishing. Free expression in journalism can be a issue and sometimes it stinks, like censoring the obituary like thy did in Ohio.

Article by: Lindsay McKnight