Censorship 101: High School Shuts Down Student Newspaper Over Flag-Burning Photograph

The steady decline of student rights and free speech continues with another high school cracking down on free speech. In Redding, California, Shasta High School’s student newspaper Shasta High Volcano will be shutdown because administrators did not like a photograph of a flag-burning student.
Shasta High School Principal Milan Woollard appears to believe that conformity and censorship are important components to teach new citizens.

In true authoritarian style, Woolard announced: “The paper’s done. There is not going to be a school newspaper next year.”

The offense was a June 3rd edition an editorial written by editor-in-chief Connor Kennedy that defended flag burning as speech protected by the first amendment. Woolard, of course, misses the irony of shutting down a newspaper due to an article on first amendment freedom.

Woolard said that he was already concerned over the costs of the newspaper but that the controversial newspaper “cements the decision” to pull funding from the newspaper. Notably, the high school crows on its web site that further “it is highest performing high school in Shasta County.” For the website, click here. Hmmm. I am not sure how many high schools there are in Shasta County but I wonder if the other schools allow free speech.

This is only the latest in such crackdowns on free speech and other rights in our schools, click here.

For the full story, click here