So Much For Freedom of Press

In Summerville, Georgia, students' rights are being threatened. Recently Chatooga High School principal Jim Lenderman decided to cut four pages of the 2009 yearbook because of photos of some boys playing basketball shirtless. Lenderman deemed these photos inappropriate and now the pages containing said photos are being cut from production, outraging students.
While the new adviser was checking the yearbook produced under another adviser, she decided she did not want the pictures in the yearbook, so she took them to the principal, who ordered their removal before yearbook distribution.
These photos were part of a summer spread in the student life section. The student that took the photos, Tyler Barker, was upset with the decision, so he confronted their new adviser. The new adviser retorted with the fact that there were “drug dealing” implications found in a young man holding up his phone and money.
Dr. Alan Perry, Chatooga's former adviser commented, “I’m very disappointed with the decision to mutilate a wonderful yearbook — a decision that was completely unnecessary. There was absolutely nothing inappropriate about the pages that were cut from the book.”
MCCSC's Publications' Policy states, “Should the advisor feel that a story or picture violates the provisions of Section I or Section II, paragraph 2 of this regulation, the advisor will make the decision not to publish the material in question. The student reporter or editor will have the right to appear under procedures outlined in Section IV. In circumstances where the student editor feels that an article, drawing or photograph should not be published, the student reporter will have the right to appeal to the appropriate faculty advisor. Should the advisor agree with the student editor, the student reporter will have the right to appeal to the school’s Editorial Board.”
Schools that have to have to have their publications pre-approved by the administration have been faced with a threat to their first amendment right of “freedom of press” and as a student publication, that could be a very damaging thing. For Chatooga's students, it cost them pages in their yearbook, all their hard work on the spreads, which is not easy, and students memories.
This should be an reminder to student publications everywhere that don't have overbearing vision on their publications of just how how lucky they are.

By: Whitney Taylor