Update: After dozens of students, teachers and community members spoke at the May 10 Seminole County School Board meeting, the board rejected the censorship of the Lyman High School yearbook and instead chose to affix a clarifying sticker indicating that the “Don’t Say Gay Walkout” was not a school-sponsored activity. Read more.
“The censorship of the Lyman High School yearbook is an extreme misuse of power by Seminole County Public Schools administrators. It is the job of yearbook journalism to document the student experience and create an accurate record of the school year. Documenting students engaging in political speech about a matter important to them is part of the student experience of that year. The decision to place stickers over the coverage of that protest demonstrates a failed understanding of their role as educators and the protections of the First Amendment.
This is an excellent example of why Florida needs to adopt New Voices legislation protecting student press freedom. Such legislation would ensure that student journalists cannot be censored as they were at Lyman High School.”
Hadar Harris
SPLC Executive Director
You can read more about the censorship here and view the spread in question below:
