UPDATE: Teacher Suspended After Pro-Trump High School Yearbook Photos Altered

awpitt

awpitt

Main Streeter
This_person said:
I get what you're saying, but.... These weren't "#### Trump" or "#### Hillary" shirts, they were just pro-Trump. The quote that was censored, said long before Trump was president, was "If you're going to be thinking anyway, think big." If the quote was "Grab 'em by the pussy, and they let you" that would be pretty inappropriate for a school shirt/quote/picture. But, I'm not even sure of that, because some would argue "Give me liberty or give me death" should be censored because it is "inflammatory" (and rightly so - it IS inflammatory on purpose).

Trump's win was historic in that it is the first time (to my knowledge) someone without government or military service was elected. Whether it was historic or not, he IS the president, and positive/non-controversial statements by him seem more than appropriate; I would say appropriate even for schools, which should be teaching presidential positions, and asking (without judgement) what students think about them - facilitating open and thoughtful discussion.
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I agree with what you're saying except that it doesn't belong in the yearbook.
 
PsyOps

PsyOps

Pixelated
awpitt said:
I agree with what you're saying except that it doesn't belong in the yearbook.
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Why not? Who pays for those yearbooks? It's certainly not the school? If a parent is okay with their kid wearing such a t-shirt, the school has no business censoring it.

What if he wore a George Washington, Lincoln, JFK, Reagan, or Obama shirt?
 
awpitt

awpitt

Main Streeter
PsyOps said:
Why not? Who pays for those yearbooks? It's certainly not the school? If a parent is okay with their kid wearing such a t-shirt, the school has no business censoring it.

What if he wore a George Washington, Lincoln, JFK, Reagan, or Obama shirt?
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Actually, the school admin does have business in deciding what goes into a school publication. My high school principal had final say in everything that went into the yearbook.
 
PsyOps

PsyOps

Pixelated
awpitt said:
Actually, the school admin does have business in deciding what goes into a school publication. My high school principal had final say in everything that went into the yearbook.
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No doubt. But, again I ask... what if he had worn a George Washington, or FDR, or Reagan shirt? Certainly the school admins should make sure nothing profane gets published, but censoring a shirt with the name of our president is really out of line. Trump is no less a president of this country than any past president. So, what is your explanation as to why Trump doesn't belong in any yearbook?
 
glhs837

glhs837

Power with Control
awpitt said:
Actually, the school admin does have business in deciding what goes into a school publication. My high school principal had final say in everything that went into the yearbook.
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Right, but along with that right comes the responsibility to use it legally. And unless there is a law or regulation or policy stating that such things are not allowed, then they open themselves to lawsuits for restricting rights. Schools can only restrict the rights of students under prescribed circumstances, they cant just make stuff up as they go.
 
Ken King

Ken King

A little rusty but not crusty
PREMO Member
SamSpade said:
I'm not sure that, on this, I'm entirely against the school. They should not have altered the pics.
But I am not sure they should have allowed them to be taken, either.

A yearbook is an inappropriate place to have political material. It's about school and school memories.
If I recall correctly, MY schools DID review pics that were to go in and re-took pics or otherwise blocked the publishing
of pics that said certain things. (My senior yearbook DID however miss ME subtly flipping the bird in a group pic).

Vulgar material - or suggestive T-shirt slogans (two ACTUAL shirts from my school days - a pizza place that prominently said "The best piece" right on the front, and a hot dog place that boasted on its shirts "the best meat between the buns") were not allowed. But that went for gestures (ha!) and even slogans on shirts. (Gang signs weren't a "thing" then).
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Sam, it wasn't the school that did the censoring, it was (as far as being reported) a single person, Susan Parsons, the yearbook advisor. The superintendent made a statement that said,
There is nothing in Wall Township High School’s student dress code that would prevent a student from expressing his or her political views, or support for a political figure, via appropriate clothing and attire. Indeed, the administration applauds students for becoming involved in politics, making their voices known, and taking an active part in our democracy.
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O

officeguy

Well-Known Member
There is nothing in Wall Township High School’s student dress code that would prevent a student from expressing his or her political views, or support for a political figure, via appropriate clothing and attire. Indeed, the administration applauds students for becoming involved in politics, making their voices known, and taking an active part in our democracy.
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That's all there is to it. There was no policy to cover this. As schools are government entities, they tend to be careful about writing policies that restrictions political speech .
 
Lurk

Lurk

Happy Creepy Ass Cracka
PsyOps said:
Why not? Who pays for those yearbooks? It's certainly not the school? If a parent is okay with their kid wearing such a t-shirt, the school has no business censoring it.

What if he wore a George Washington, Lincoln, JFK, Reagan, or Obama shirt?
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I was the business manager for our senior yearbook. The majority of the cost of publication came from businesses who purchased advertising space in the book. Next came subscription sales and there was a little from the department of education.
 
awpitt

awpitt

Main Streeter
Lurk said:
I was the business manager for our senior yearbook. The majority of the cost of publication came from businesses who purchased advertising space in the book. Next came subscription sales and there was a little from the department of education.
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was on yearbook staff as well and you're right. Patron sales (ads) and yearbook purchases were the bulk of it but the bottom line is that it was a school publication and the administration had final say. In the case we're talking about here, it sounds like it was the yearbook advisor who altered the pictures. The administration is not happy about it and suspended the yearbook advisor.
 
glhs837

glhs837

Power with Control
awpitt said:
was on yearbook staff as well and you're right. Patron sales (ads) and yearbook purchases were the bulk of it but the bottom line is that it was a school publication and the administration had final say. In the case we're talking about here, it sounds like it was the yearbook advisor who altered the pictures. The administration is not happy about it and suspended the yearbook advisor.
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Which was the right approach.
 
PsyOps

PsyOps

Pixelated
awpitt said:
was on yearbook staff as well and you're right. Patron sales (ads) and yearbook purchases were the bulk of it but the bottom line is that it was a school publication and the administration had final say. In the case we're talking about here, it sounds like it was the yearbook advisor who altered the pictures. The administration is not happy about it and suspended the yearbook advisor.
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Do you agree with the decision to censor the shirt?
 
awpitt

awpitt

Main Streeter
PsyOps said:
Do you agree with the decision to censor the shirt?
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I haven't seen the pictures that were altered so I don't know. I will say that I agree with what's been said by the school admin since the yearbook is a school publication.
 
PsyOps

PsyOps

Pixelated
awpitt said:
I haven't seen the pictures that were altered so I don't know. I will say that I agree with what's been said by the school admin since the yearbook is a school publication.
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new-jersey-school-photoshopped-t-1.jpg
 
awpitt

awpitt

Main Streeter
Again, I will say that I agree with what's been said by the school admin since the yearbook is a school publication.
 
PsyOps

PsyOps

Pixelated
awpitt said:
Again, I will say that I agree with what's been said by the school admin since the yearbook is a school publication.
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You seem incapable of making up your own mind. You really need someone else to dictate it to you?

The first amendment! It still applies here. As long as it's nothing profane or obscene... We're talking about one of presidents of this country. If he had "George Washington Our First Great Founder" I'm willing to bet they would not have edited it out. This was politically motivated, and it's gone way past annoying.
 
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