Could Neshaminy be Sued Over Newspaper Controversy?

If the Neshaminy School Board votes to approve a revised Policy 600 on Thursday, could the district be sued by student editors of Neshaminy High School’s The Playwickian student newspaper?

Both the district and the student editors say that is a real possibility.

Gillian McGoldrick, editor-in-chief of the newspaper, said the editors would use legal action as a “last resort.” The group is receiving pro-boro representation from the Levine Sullivan Koch and Schulz law firm.

Michael Levin, the attorney for the district in the matter, said he would not be surprised if suit is filed by student editors. He said his expertise in handling similar issues is one of the reasons the district has hired him.

Aside from the student editors suing the district, school board member Stephen Pirritano has suggested that his son might sue because the editors banned his letter to The Playwickian in the most recent issue. The letter by Pirritano’s son was banned from the publication due to use of the word “Redskin,” which is crux of the issue between student editors and the district.

The students’ argument is: by the school not allowing the editors to remove the word “Redskin” from the newspaper and mandating that some uses remain, their First Amendment rights to edit the paper are being violated.

“This is a curriculum-related, education-related school district exercise. It’s not a newspaper like the Inquirer,” Levin said at the Policy Committee meeting. He said the students would have to print the word “Redskin” if it was used in submitted content, but they would not be forced to use it in news articles they report.

McGoldrick said she took issue with the policy that required administration 10 days to review drafts of the newspaper. The soon-to-be-senior said the rule is “ridiculous.”

There was also some talk over whether the newspaper’s website would be moved behind the district firewall. Pirritano said he was for having a comments section under the student’s online articles. He did say the comments would have to be monitored.

The student editors said the district did meet with them and some compromises were made but their was still a distance to go.

Neshaminy High School principal Robert McGee said the newspaper costs about $1,000 to print each edition.

The committee also forwarded a revised social media policy to the full board for a vote on Thursday.

The policy governs the way students, parents and coaches interact with each other via the internet.

The vote on the two policies will be Thursday at 7 p.m. in the district board room at Maple Point Middle School in Middletown.

Related:

• School Newspaper’s Social Media Accounts Taken Down
• Neshaminy High School Admin Accused of Pulling ‘Playwickian’ Copies
• Neshaminy Committee Tables Controversial Newspaper Policy
• Controversial Neshaminy Policy Going Back to Committee
• Neshaminy Board Hears Public Comment on Revised Policy
• Neshaminy Board Moves ‘Redskin’ Policy Vote on Heels of Letter from Lawyer Representing Students
• Neshaminy Lawyer: Editors Can’t Stop Students from Using Redskin Name
• Neshaminy Mulls Blocking Student Paper Ban on ‘Redskins’ Name
• Neshaminy Board Prez: Redskins Name Not a Slur
• Dump the Redskins Nickname, Neshaminy Student Newspaper Says
• School Paper Editors Win Award for ‘Redskins’ Op-Ed
• Webb Reacts to Being Named Among ‘Worst Persons in the Sports World’