Editorial

Recently in Oregon, a high school newspaper adviser’s contract was not renewed because of criticisms about enforcement of the school’s dress code that were published. It did not become a problem until a parent complained to the principal about some of the article’s content. After the incident, the principal apparently decided to start reviewing the school’s paper before it could be published. However, the school board still decided not to ask the adviser back next year.

The irony is though, that because Oregon law places control of the newspaper in the hands of the students, neither the adviser nor the principal legally had the right to remove the content. It is entirely unfair that the adviser was removed when taking action to remove content from the article could have resulted in far bigger issues.

The actions taken seem to imply that the school board would rather have a lawsuit on their hands than have one of their students’ parents be upset. However, the two are not even comparable. The effects of a lawsuit would be much more devastating to the entire school than simply an unhappy parent, a point which the school board should have considered.

The school board also needs to look at how serious the issue of the article’s content really was. The article does not promote sex, drugs, alcohol, or anything illegal. It was simply a statement of opinions about the fact that the dress code needs to be better-enforced, and that some of its policies are unfair. It seems they let a rather petty issue get turned into a huge deal.

Considering the adviser was not free to remove content from the students’ newspaper, it would seem fair if the teacher were offered her contract back. Also, it would be a good idea to have the principal continue to review articles. If an issue were ever to come up, the principal could discuss it with the students. Ultimately though, the adviser, principal, and school board should leave the responsibility to decide if the content is appropriate or not to the students.

For the Student Press Law Center article, click here.