More school newspaper censorship

By | December 10, 2005

There’s another story about school newspaper censorship, this time regarding high schools in Pennsylvania.

The student newspaper at Lampeter Strasburg High School ran the ad for Common Roads in its November issue — only to have it pulled.

The ad invited gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth to check out the group.

“It’s just saying we’re here if you need us. Check us out,” said Carol Reisinger, executive director of Common Roads.

The superintendent of the Lampeter Strasburg school district, Dr. Robert Frick, nixed the ad after the papers were printed.

They were reprinted without it. Other school papers refused to take the ad from the beginning.

Frick wouldn’t go on camera, but he told the television station that the advertisement encouraged students to attend “something we know nothing about.”

All I can say is: ugh. Schools should be teaching kids about freedom of speech and freedom of the press, not first-hand experience in how censorship works.

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