Journalism 'shattered' by principal's censorship

WASHINGTON — Steve Simpson, who still teaches English at Port Townsend High School, quit his post teaching journalism and advising the Arrow because he said the school principal “left a journalism program that was shattered and journalistically censored.”No members of the student newspaper staff have plans to sue the school district for censorship, as far as the paper’s former adviser knows. As for Simpson, he is currently involved in a lawsuit with the school unrelated to the censorship.In February of 1996, the paper was prohibited from reporting sexual harassment accusations by several female students against a school staff member, said Simpson. He said the staff member, who was a counselor, no longer works at the school.The school principal, Arcella Hall, did not return a call for comment from the Report. Last year’s editor of the Arrow wrote a letter to the school district superintendent asking that the censorship be overturned. Simpson said the district has since affirmed the censorship.