The Neshaminy School District suspended teachers’ union president Tara Huber this week.
Huber, who is the staff advisor to the award-winning high school newspaper and an English teacher, was suspended without pay for both Tuesday and Wednesday, according to multiple sources within the district.
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Huber was suspended due to “willful neglect of duties and insubordination” and The Playwickian will have $1,200 taken from its student activity fund for the current school year, according to an internal email obtained by Philly.com.
In summer two district officials, who both requested to remain anonymous due to their positions, said Huber would be reprimanded come the new school year for not having proper oversight of the students running the paper. The issue stems from the final newspaper edition printed late last school year without the final authorization of district officials. District officials told LevittownNow.com in June the unauthorized printing of the paper cost roughly $1,200.
The final edition of last school year’s newspaper was printed without the principal’s authorization and did not include an op-ed from a student that supported the use of the school’s Redskin name. The student editors allegedly did not include the letter because its use of the word, which they say is offensive to Native Americans. Students have said Huber was out of the room when they sent the paper to the printer.
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District officials previously told the students they did not have to use the word in their writings for the newspaper but could not censor it from other students submissions.
The school board passed a policy about the issue in June. The students said the policy was oppressive. One student editor said the newspaper staff was not going to “sit back and let this happen.”
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Huber took over as president of the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers in July and also named the PSPA’s Journalism Teacher of the Year. District officials and Huber were not available for comment Tuesday evening.
No word as of press time on whether Huber will continue to oversee the student newspaper staff when her suspension is over.
Related:
- Neshaminy Votes to Approve Controversial Publication Policy
- Playwickian Advisor Ready to Tackle Role as President of the Neshaminy Teachers’ Union
- Could Neshaminy be Sued Over Newspaper Controversy?
- 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
