MCCSC student publications could face new restrictions

A new proposal from the Monroe County Community School Corporation could impose restrictions upon student publications.

Policy 5722, the policy outlining the possible changes to student media revisions, would enable the MCCSC Board of Trustees to prohibit publication of materials such as those that “contain obscenity or material otherwise deemed to be harmful to impressionable students who may receive them.”

The board could also prevent students from publishing material that promotes, favors or opposes any candidate for election to the Board of Trustees or the adoption of any bond issue, proposal or question submitted at any election.

Tuesday’s board meeting included discussion of a list of policy changes, and the board approved every one presented except 5722.

The board plans to include interested persons in the discussion and revisit the policy at the next board meeting Feb. 26.

Student publication leaders from around the state voiced their opposition to the changes at the meeting.

Ryan Gunterman is the newspaper and yearbook adviser at North.

He said the previous policy was already helping student journalists to succeed and that the new policy is vague, asking the question of who would be the one to determine what material was harmful.  

Gunterman said students should be able to carry out their own editorial decisions and hopes a solution can be made that everyone can agree with.

He said he felt humbled that the board listened to him.

“I feel it’s a big win,” he said. “I’m giddy to an extent.”

He said it was impressive that the board listened to their opposition.

Diana Hadley, executive director of the Indiana High School Press Association, said she does not agree with the policy.  

“I see some problems with the policy that we can tweak a bit,” she said.

She said the proposal might allow administration to subjectively decide what material is deemed as inappropriate.

Hadley said the 1988 Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier decision granted school administrators further authority in terms of deciding what editorial content was suitable for student publications.

In this decision, the U.S. Supreme Court decided school officials had the authority to decide what students may publish “so long as their actions are reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns.”

“My hope is that we can come to an agreement on what is a good policy,” she said.
Hadley said students at Bloomington schools produce nationally acclaimed publications.

“A policy that is overreaching shouldn’t be necessary,” she said.

Ron Johnson, director of IU Student Media, said IU is “blessed” to have students from Bloomington schools involved with journalism at IU. He said he wants students to receive the training they need to succeed in the field.

He also said the policy could prevent the coverage of controversial issues such as religion, health and race.

Gunterman said the students at the high schools are making their own decisions about what to write about, and he wants to keep it that way.

“I feel like I really do have a seat at the table now,” he said.