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U.S. NEWS Monday 24 SepteMber 2018
High school journalists stand up to censorship and win

By LISA RATHKE our country, and our soci-
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — ety and our government,"
Armed with a new Ver- said senior Nataleigh No-
mont law that protects stu- ble, 17.
dent journalists, four high Burlington High School Prin-
school editors have stood cipal Noel Green didn't
up to censorship and won, return a phone call seek-
prompting their school to ing comment. The school
revamp its media policy. district announced Sept.
The Burlington High School 15 that "all previously prac-
students had posted a sto- ticed or adopted guide-
ry on the school newspa- lines regarding publica-
per website that they col- tions in the BHS Register
lectively wrote on a school are no longer in effect."
employee facing unpro- The school board, and the
fessional conduct charges administration, will develop
from the state. They had a written policy consistent
gotten a tip about the in- with the new law, in a pro-
vestigation and filed a cess involving the students,
public records request, the district said.
posting the story the night "The New Voices law is
of Sept. 10. intended to ensure free
The next morning, the prin- speech and free press pro-
cipal asked the students' tections for public school In this Sept. 20, 2018 photo, BHS Register editors, from left, Julia Shannon-Grillo, Halle Newman,
adviser to take it down. The students in order to encour- Nataleigh Noble and Jenna Peterson stand outside the Burlington High School in Burlington, Vt.
students quickly consulted age students to become Associated Press
with legal experts about educated, informed, and
what do to and wrote on responsible members of so-
the website that their ar- ciety," the district said. Thir-
ticle had been censored. teen states have passed
Days later, the principal similar legislation.
said the students could re- "The importance of this
post the story since it had case was that it really did
been picked up by local provide a good solid ex-
media. Then, Sept 15, the ample that these laws re-
school did another about- ally are important and do
face and said it would work," said Mike Hiestand,
change its policy on me- legal consultant for the
dia, based on the New Washington-based Student
Voices law. Press Law Center, where
"I think I've learned more in about 40 percent of the
the past week than I have incoming calls are about
in my entire life. It's been re- censorship.
ally incredible," senior Halle Now at least two of the
Newman, 17, said. Vermont students see jour-
The big lesson is she's nalism in their futures.
learned to stand up for "We've gotten like such a
herself and what she be- rush from putting out this
lieves in and for their rights important information and
as a student press, she said. helping out community,"
They've also witnessed how said Noble. Newman said
important journalism is to a she'd always wanted to
community, she said, from pursue journalism but the
the community reaction experience confirmed it.
and support. "It was obviously over-
"I think on a larger scale whelming and hectic but
we've just learned how im- it was also exciting and
portant and how vital the something I can see myself
first amendment is to just doing again," she said.q

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