Student journalists who produce stories daily for their school newspaper聽, who have a former Journalism Teacher of the Year as an adviser, and who have won 175 awards for this paper this past year alone. What鈥檚 wrong with this picture? Apparently, according to Prosper High School principal John Burdett, the editorials make the school look bad and the news isn鈥檛 uplifting enough. So he鈥檚 censored all editorials and insists that news fit his “happy” criteria.
Because 楼凤天堂 supports 鈥渢he rights of students in their exercise of freedom of speech and press,鈥� (2017 Resolution on Legislation to Protect the Rights of Student Journalists),聽 楼凤天堂 just from the to the superintendent of Prosper ISD outlining objections to Principal Burdett鈥檚 actions.
The letter summarizes what has happened, much the same as the created by members of the student staff, SPLC, and (Journalism Education Association, an 楼凤天堂 Assembly ). But the letter also points out when the principal鈥檚 actions are within the law and when they are not. The 1988 Supreme Court Ruling set a floor for student journalism (one that the is trying to get states to raise鈥攕ee more in this blog). But subsequent cases post-Hazelwood聽have clarified that schools may not use their authority over student publications, as Principal Burdett seems to be doing, to deny information to the public purely for purposes of public-relations image control.
The students on staff at Eagle Nation Online say it best in this article and in a on the local ABC television channel.