Following the publication of an article detailing improper student transfers, the Har-Ber High School student newspaper faced suspension and censorship by the administration, and now express further concerns over censorship.
Har-Ber High School received national attention when Buzzfeed published an article on the suspension of the high school newspaper. Har-Ber High School is located in Springdale, Arkansas.
The Springdale school district suspended the student newspaper and forced the removal of the article in November. The article investigated the improper transfer of six students who played on the high school football team to a rival high school. The article came after months of investigation into the transfers, conducted by the student newspaper team. The article pointed that the these transfers violated district policy, as they were for athletic reasons.
After public outrage over the suspension of the student newspaper, the newspaper was permitted to publish the article on the improper transfers.
Now, the student newspaper has expressed concerns over intense oversight. Students told the Springdale School Board that this results in jeopardy of journalistic integrity and further censorship.
