Don't Punish High School Journalists For Telling The Truth
SIGNATURES
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OVERVIEW
The principal of a Colorado high school has shut down the student newspaper -- for truthfully reporting on the death of a classmate. Telling students that their story was "too big for a high school paper," he yanked the students' faculty advisor from her position, changed their journalism class to a non-publishing class and shut down the paper. Censoring student journalists in Colorado isn't just wrong. It's illegal. Colorado student journalists and their journalism advisors are protected But Principal Leon Lundie of Overland High School in Aurora, Colo., blatantly disregarded the law in an attempt to silence a story the students reported about a fellow student who died as a result of an injury during a wrestling tournament. Even though the students backed up the story with interviews and research - and even provided Lundie with the student's death certificate - he reportedly told them that the story "lacked balance."
When the students said they'd go ahead with the story, Lundie told them it would be the last issue they'd publish, hauled their advisor into a meeting and fired her, and said through a spokesperson that the newspaper was shutting down due to "budget concerns" - a rationale refuted by the students themselves, who say they're not over budget. The ACLU and the Student Press Law Center are speaking up for these students - let's add our voices as well.
Can you help make this right? Taking a stand will send a message to Overland High -- and other schools watching this story -- that we care about freedom of speech in American high schools. Speak up for the young journalists of The Overland Scout and their advisor, Laura Sudik, and tell Overland High School's principal: Don't shut down a student paper for telling the truth!
