Tolles Career & Technical Center
Administrative Guidelines
 

5722 - SCHOOL-SPONSORED STUDENT PUBLICATIONS AND PRODUCTIONS

In general, the objectives of school-sponsored student publications and productions are to:
 

A.

communicate to those who are actively interested in the school – i.e., students, teachers, parents, administration, alumni, and other members of the school community;
   
 

B.

provide vehicles for the expression of student thought and action and to act as catalysts for helping students realize goals and objectives;
   
 

C.

create a wholesome school spirit and to support the best traditions of the school;
   
 

D.

promote and encourage school-sponsored activities;
   
 

E.

provide training in useful and purposeful writing, speaking, artwork, photography, and layout;
   
 

F.

create a desire for the best forms of journalism or theatrical production, both in and out of school;
   
 

G.

record in permanent form the history of the school;
   
 

H.

promote cooperation among taxpayers, parents, the school, and its students.

In implementing Board of Education Policy 5722, the following guidelines are applicable:
 

A.

Under those circumstances when the school-sponsored student media is subject to prior review and restraint, the following school officials are designated to conduct the prior review/restraint:
   
 

1.

Class/Activity Advisor
   
 

2.

director
   
 

3.

Superintendent.
   
 

B.

Students who work on school-sponsored student publications/productions shall:
   
 

1.

endeavor to produce media based upon professional standards of accuracy, objectivity and fairness;
   
 

2.

review and edit material to improve sentence structure, grammar, spelling and punctuation;
   
 

3.

check and verify all facts and verify the accuracy of all quotations;
   
 

4.

comply with all State and Federal laws.
   
 

C.

Language, pictures, music, or symbols that are obscene, libelous or protected by copyright and/or trademark are prohibited.
   
 

D.

The following types of student expression are not protected (i.e. such expression is subject to prior review and restraint, and/or disciplinary action subsequent to its publication/performance):
   
 

1.

Expression that is obscene, harmful to juveniles and/or considered a sex offense under State or Federal law. "Harmful to juveniles" is defined as material or performance describing or representing nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse in any form to which all of the following apply:
   
 

a.

the material or performance, when considered as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest of juveniles in sex;
   
 

b.

the material or performance is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable for juveniles; and
   
 

c.

the material or performance, when considered as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, and scientific value for juveniles.
   
 

2.

Expression that is defamatory (i.e., speech that is libelous or slanderous). Libelous statements are provably false and unprivileged statements of fact that demonstrate injury to an individual's or business's reputation in the community. If the allegedly false statement involves a "public figure" or a "public official" the statement must be published "with actual malice" to constitute libel (i.e., the speaker knew the statement was false or the speaker published it with reckless disregard of the truth and/or without trying to verify the truthfulness of the statement). If the allegedly false statement involves an individual who is not a public figure or public official, libel occurs if the speaker published the statement willfully or negligently (i.e., the speaker failed to exercise reasonably prudent care when publishing the statement).
   
 

3.

Expression that will cause or is reasonably likely to cause a substantial disruption of or material inteference with school activities or the educational process, and/or an infringement upon the privacy and/or rights of others.