The editorial for Florida’s “don’t say gay” law. it was part of a full edition of the student paper devoted to LGBTQ stories and issues. Days after the issue hit newsstands in May, administrators at Northwest Public Schools in Grand Island, Neb., pulled the plug on their journalism program and shut down the companion paper, calling it an “administrative decision.” “You can tell there were definitely some other motivations there,” Pennell, who has since graduated, told As It Happens guest Katie Simpson. “I definitely think they wanted to silence some of the voices of their LGBT students. And I think it really bothered them that, you know, we were allowed to post what they called “LGBT content” under the name of the school. “ Defenders of press freedom, incl the Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)condemned the decision. The school has referred all questions about the newspaper’s closure to Superintendent Jeffrey E. Edwards, who did not respond to a request for comment from the CBC. School board vice president Zach Mader specifically mentioned the LGBTQ issue in an interview with the Grand Island Independentwho first broke the story. Mader said if a local taxpayer had read the latest issue of Viking Saga, “he would have been like, ‘Holy cow.’ What’s going on at our school?” The Independent first learned of the news when a school official emailed them to cancel print services for the student newspaper on May 22 “because the school board and principal are unhappy with the editorial content of the last issue.”
Use of his name is prohibited
Pennell says it all started in March, when the principal came to the journalism class to inform Saga staff that students would no longer be allowed to use their preferred pronouns and would have to use their first and last names in their lines, regardless of how they are identified. “Of course, I was devastated,” said Pennell, who is transgender. “I had had some issues with my peers, but coming from the adults at my school, that was a whole different ball game, you know?” The latest issue of Viking Saga was dedicated to LGBTQ stories and issues. (Northwest Viking Saga) That’s when the students decided to make their next issue LGBTQ-themed. Still, the students didn’t want to risk the newspaper’s sponsorship being withdrawn, so they followed the school’s rules. Pennell’s last byline is under a name he no longer uses.
First Amendment Violation: ACLU
The ACLU of Nebraska issued a public letter calling the decision to close the newspaper a violation of the students’ First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of the press. The rights group called on the school to immediately reinstate its journalism program and student newspaper, apologize to Saga staff and adopt new policies to protect LGBTQ journalists and students more broadly. Having a voice as a student is important.- Marcus Pennell, former author of Viking Saga “The First Amendment protects students’ rights to learn without discrimination, meaning school officials cannot make an idea unavailable or deny students an educational opportunity just because they disagree with an idea,” Sara Rips, ACLU’s LGBTQIA+ legal and policy advisor. he said in a press release. “In this case, school officials cannot suppress the idea that LGBTQ people belong simply because they don’t want students to face it. We will continue to explore all available legal means to ensure a safe and fair learning environment where all students’ rights are respected.”
Censorship in US schools
The closing of Viking Saga is just one example of alleged censorship in schools in the United States in recent years. PEN America, a press freedom organization, estimated in April that more Over 1,500 book bans have been enacted in US schools in the previous nine months, the majority deal with issues related to race, sexual orientation or gender identity. In August, a school in Arkansas removed two pages from a high school yearbook which addressed the COVID-19 pandemic, the killing of George Floyd and the 2020 election. In May, a Florida high school ordered the censoring of a two-page newspaper covering a student walkout over state law restricting discussion of sexual orientation and gender in elementary schools. Pennell says it’s not fair to deny future generations in the Northwest the chance to make a newspaper. “Having a voice as a student is important. And certainly the newspaper also helps, like, inform other students about things that are going on in the world,” she said. “By closing the program, they are certainly denying many students a great opportunity.” He says he hopes the school will reconsider. But in the meantime, he’s happy to graduate and move on after what he calls “a tough four years.” Asked if he had any message for LGBTQ students next year, he said, “It’s really getting better. And even though it may not seem like there’s ever going to be a place that accepts you, there will be.” Written by Sheena Goodyear with files from The Associated Press. Interview with Marcus Pennell produced by Chris Trowbridge.
title: “A Us Student Newspaper Published An Lgbt Issue. Then The School Closed It Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-14” author: “Arnold Ives”
The editorial for Florida’s “don’t say gay” law. it was part of a full edition of the student paper devoted to LGBTQ stories and issues. Days after the issue hit newsstands in May, administrators at Northwest Public Schools in Grand Island, Neb., pulled the plug on their journalism program and shut down the companion paper, calling it an “administrative decision.” “You can tell there were definitely some other motivations there,” Pennell, who has since graduated, told As It Happens guest Katie Simpson. “I definitely think they wanted to silence some of the voices of their LGBT students. And I think it really bothered them that, you know, we were allowed to post what they called “LGBT content” under the name of the school. “ Defenders of press freedom, incl the Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)condemned the decision. The school has referred all questions about the newspaper’s closure to Superintendent Jeffrey E. Edwards, who did not respond to a request for comment from the CBC. School board vice president Zach Mader specifically mentioned the LGBTQ issue in an interview with the Grand Island Independentwho first broke the story. Mader said if a local taxpayer had read the latest issue of Viking Saga, “he would have been like, ‘Holy cow.’ What’s going on at our school?” The Independent first learned of the news when a school official emailed them to cancel print services for the student newspaper on May 22 “because the school board and principal are unhappy with the editorial content of the last issue.”
Use of his name is prohibited
Pennell says it all started in March, when the principal came to the journalism class to inform Saga staff that students would no longer be allowed to use their preferred pronouns and would have to use their first and last names in their lines, regardless of how they are identified. “Of course, I was devastated,” said Pennell, who is transgender. “I had had some issues with my peers, but coming from the adults at my school, that was a whole different ball game, you know?” The latest issue of Viking Saga was dedicated to LGBTQ stories and issues. (Northwest Viking Saga) That’s when the students decided to make their next issue LGBTQ-themed. Still, the students didn’t want to risk the newspaper’s sponsorship being withdrawn, so they followed the school’s rules. Pennell’s last byline is under a name he no longer uses.
First Amendment Violation: ACLU
The ACLU of Nebraska issued a public letter calling the decision to close the newspaper a violation of the students’ First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of the press. The rights group called on the school to immediately reinstate its journalism program and student newspaper, apologize to Saga staff and adopt new policies to protect LGBTQ journalists and students more broadly. Having a voice as a student is important.- Marcus Pennell, former author of Viking Saga “The First Amendment protects students’ rights to learn without discrimination, meaning school officials cannot make an idea unavailable or deny students an educational opportunity just because they disagree with an idea,” Sara Rips, ACLU’s LGBTQIA+ legal and policy advisor. he said in a press release. “In this case, school officials cannot suppress the idea that LGBTQ people belong simply because they don’t want students to face it. We will continue to explore all available legal means to ensure a safe and fair learning environment where all students’ rights are respected.”
Censorship in US schools
The closing of Viking Saga is just one example of alleged censorship in schools in the United States in recent years. PEN America, a press freedom organization, estimated in April that more Over 1,500 book bans have been enacted in US schools in the previous nine months, the majority deal with issues related to race, sexual orientation or gender identity. In August, a school in Arkansas removed two pages from a high school yearbook which addressed the COVID-19 pandemic, the killing of George Floyd and the 2020 election. In May, a Florida high school ordered the censoring of a two-page newspaper covering a student walkout over state law restricting discussion of sexual orientation and gender in elementary schools. Pennell says it’s not fair to deny future generations in the Northwest the chance to make a newspaper. “Having a voice as a student is important. And certainly the newspaper also helps, like, inform other students about things that are going on in the world,” she said. “By closing the program, they are certainly denying many students a great opportunity.” He says he hopes the school will reconsider. But in the meantime, he’s happy to graduate and move on after what he calls “a tough four years.” Asked if he had any message for LGBTQ students next year, he said, “It’s really getting better. And even though it may not seem like there’s ever going to be a place that accepts you, there will be.” Written by Sheena Goodyear with files from The Associated Press. Interview with Marcus Pennell produced by Chris Trowbridge.
title: “A Us Student Newspaper Published An Lgbt Issue. Then The School Closed It Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-31” author: “Ricky Priolean”
The editorial for Florida’s “don’t say gay” law. it was part of a full edition of the student paper devoted to LGBTQ stories and issues. Days after the issue hit newsstands in May, administrators at Northwest Public Schools in Grand Island, Neb., pulled the plug on their journalism program and shut down the companion paper, calling it an “administrative decision.” “You can tell there were definitely some other motivations there,” Pennell, who has since graduated, told As It Happens guest Katie Simpson. “I definitely think they wanted to silence some of the voices of their LGBT students. And I think it really bothered them that, you know, we were allowed to post what they called “LGBT content” under the name of the school. “ Defenders of press freedom, incl the Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)condemned the decision. The school has referred all questions about the newspaper’s closure to Superintendent Jeffrey E. Edwards, who did not respond to a request for comment from the CBC. School board vice president Zach Mader specifically mentioned the LGBTQ issue in an interview with the Grand Island Independentwho first broke the story. Mader said if a local taxpayer had read the latest issue of Viking Saga, “he would have been like, ‘Holy cow.’ What’s going on at our school?” The Independent first learned of the news when a school official emailed them to cancel print services for the student newspaper on May 22 “because the school board and principal are unhappy with the editorial content of the last issue.”
Use of his name is prohibited
Pennell says it all started in March, when the principal came to the journalism class to inform Saga staff that students would no longer be allowed to use their preferred pronouns and would have to use their first and last names in their lines, regardless of how they are identified. “Of course, I was devastated,” said Pennell, who is transgender. “I had had some issues with my peers, but coming from the adults at my school, that was a whole different ball game, you know?” The latest issue of Viking Saga was dedicated to LGBTQ stories and issues. (Northwest Viking Saga) That’s when the students decided to make their next issue LGBTQ-themed. Still, the students didn’t want to risk the newspaper’s sponsorship being withdrawn, so they followed the school’s rules. Pennell’s last byline is under a name he no longer uses.
First Amendment Violation: ACLU
The ACLU of Nebraska issued a public letter calling the decision to close the newspaper a violation of the students’ First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of the press. The rights group called on the school to immediately reinstate its journalism program and student newspaper, apologize to Saga staff and adopt new policies to protect LGBTQ journalists and students more broadly. Having a voice as a student is important.- Marcus Pennell, former author of Viking Saga “The First Amendment protects students’ rights to learn without discrimination, meaning school officials cannot make an idea unavailable or deny students an educational opportunity just because they disagree with an idea,” Sara Rips, ACLU’s LGBTQIA+ legal and policy advisor. he said in a press release. “In this case, school officials cannot suppress the idea that LGBTQ people belong simply because they don’t want students to face it. We will continue to explore all available legal means to ensure a safe and fair learning environment where all students’ rights are respected.”
Censorship in US schools
The closing of Viking Saga is just one example of alleged censorship in schools in the United States in recent years. PEN America, a press freedom organization, estimated in April that more Over 1,500 book bans have been enacted in US schools in the previous nine months, the majority deal with issues related to race, sexual orientation or gender identity. In August, a school in Arkansas removed two pages from a high school yearbook which addressed the COVID-19 pandemic, the killing of George Floyd and the 2020 election. In May, a Florida high school ordered the censoring of a two-page newspaper covering a student walkout over state law restricting discussion of sexual orientation and gender in elementary schools. Pennell says it’s not fair to deny future generations in the Northwest the chance to make a newspaper. “Having a voice as a student is important. And certainly the newspaper also helps, like, inform other students about things that are going on in the world,” she said. “By closing the program, they are certainly denying many students a great opportunity.” He says he hopes the school will reconsider. But in the meantime, he’s happy to graduate and move on after what he calls “a tough four years.” Asked if he had any message for LGBTQ students next year, he said, “It’s really getting better. And even though it may not seem like there’s ever going to be a place that accepts you, there will be.” Written by Sheena Goodyear with files from The Associated Press. Interview with Marcus Pennell produced by Chris Trowbridge.
title: “A Us Student Newspaper Published An Lgbt Issue. Then The School Closed It Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-12” author: “Lois Wiggins”
The editorial for Florida’s “don’t say gay” law. it was part of a full edition of the student paper devoted to LGBTQ stories and issues. Days after the issue hit newsstands in May, administrators at Northwest Public Schools in Grand Island, Neb., pulled the plug on their journalism program and shut down the companion paper, calling it an “administrative decision.” “You can tell there were definitely some other motivations there,” Pennell, who has since graduated, told As It Happens guest Katie Simpson. “I definitely think they wanted to silence some of the voices of their LGBT students. And I think it really bothered them that, you know, we were allowed to post what they called “LGBT content” under the name of the school. “ Defenders of press freedom, incl the Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)condemned the decision. The school has referred all questions about the newspaper’s closure to Superintendent Jeffrey E. Edwards, who did not respond to a request for comment from the CBC. School board vice president Zach Mader specifically mentioned the LGBTQ issue in an interview with the Grand Island Independentwho first broke the story. Mader said if a local taxpayer had read the latest issue of Viking Saga, “he would have been like, ‘Holy cow.’ What’s going on at our school?” The Independent first learned of the news when a school official emailed them to cancel print services for the student newspaper on May 22 “because the school board and principal are unhappy with the editorial content of the last issue.”
Use of his name is prohibited
Pennell says it all started in March, when the principal came to the journalism class to inform Saga staff that students would no longer be allowed to use their preferred pronouns and would have to use their first and last names in their lines, regardless of how they are identified. “Of course, I was devastated,” said Pennell, who is transgender. “I had had some issues with my peers, but coming from the adults at my school, that was a whole different ball game, you know?” The latest issue of Viking Saga was dedicated to LGBTQ stories and issues. (Northwest Viking Saga) That’s when the students decided to make their next issue LGBTQ-themed. Still, the students didn’t want to risk the newspaper’s sponsorship being withdrawn, so they followed the school’s rules. Pennell’s last byline is under a name he no longer uses.
First Amendment Violation: ACLU
The ACLU of Nebraska issued a public letter calling the decision to close the newspaper a violation of the students’ First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of the press. The rights group called on the school to immediately reinstate its journalism program and student newspaper, apologize to Saga staff and adopt new policies to protect LGBTQ journalists and students more broadly. Having a voice as a student is important.- Marcus Pennell, former author of Viking Saga “The First Amendment protects students’ rights to learn without discrimination, meaning school officials cannot make an idea unavailable or deny students an educational opportunity just because they disagree with an idea,” Sara Rips, ACLU’s LGBTQIA+ legal and policy advisor. he said in a press release. “In this case, school officials cannot suppress the idea that LGBTQ people belong simply because they don’t want students to face it. We will continue to explore all available legal means to ensure a safe and fair learning environment where all students’ rights are respected.”
Censorship in US schools
The closing of Viking Saga is just one example of alleged censorship in schools in the United States in recent years. PEN America, a press freedom organization, estimated in April that more Over 1,500 book bans have been enacted in US schools in the previous nine months, the majority deal with issues related to race, sexual orientation or gender identity. In August, a school in Arkansas removed two pages from a high school yearbook which addressed the COVID-19 pandemic, the killing of George Floyd and the 2020 election. In May, a Florida high school ordered the censoring of a two-page newspaper covering a student walkout over state law restricting discussion of sexual orientation and gender in elementary schools. Pennell says it’s not fair to deny future generations in the Northwest the chance to make a newspaper. “Having a voice as a student is important. And certainly the newspaper also helps, like, inform other students about things that are going on in the world,” she said. “By closing the program, they are certainly denying many students a great opportunity.” He says he hopes the school will reconsider. But in the meantime, he’s happy to graduate and move on after what he calls “a tough four years.” Asked if he had any message for LGBTQ students next year, he said, “It’s really getting better. And even though it may not seem like there’s ever going to be a place that accepts you, there will be.” Written by Sheena Goodyear with files from The Associated Press. Interview with Marcus Pennell produced by Chris Trowbridge.
