Wall Township High School in Wall, NJ just recently published their 2017 yearbook. Apparently the yearbook advisor, a member of the faculty, took it upon himself to edit out people’s clothing and quotes about Trump. Three students and their parents are not very happy about it.
The faculty member has been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation.
Interestingly, the Township voted about 66% for Trump in the General election. I’m guessing the faculty advisor is going to be out of a job.
I hate Trump as much as anyone, but I don’t approve of the advisor doing this. Leave the stupid shit in the yearbook and let the kids cringe when they look back years later.
Susan Parsons - https://app.oncoursesystems.com/school/webpage/13118737
https://app.oncoursesystems.com/school/webpage/13118737/1447029
Exactly my thoughts, especially the last sentence.
If my son wore some T-shirt like that (substitute Trump with Metallica, Katy Perry, The Smurfs or your celeb of choice), I’d be delighted that they’d photoshopped the stupidity out of the photo.
They’re kids. Dash their civil liberties now while it doesn’t hurt so much. 
Sounds like a no-brainer. The advisor took it upon himself to remove the Trump references without authorization from the school board. The school board encourages students to get politically involved and wear their political sentiments on their clothing, as long as it doesn’t promote illegal activity or drug or alcohol use. The advisor is in the wrong and should be disciplined. The administration should issue unaltered yearbooks to the students and parents who request it.
Once this kid grows up, his bigger regret will be wearing a t-shirt (unfortunate political choice or not) in his yearbook photo.
What a stoopit idea. If I’m a student there, I got my yearbook, my friends &/or teachers signed it & now I’m gone & they are, too. I can get a new yearbook with (2) altered photos / (1) quote of students that I may or may not be friends with but won’t have the various autographs/well wishes or I can keep the one I have, which is autographed.
If Dad sued the school, I’d back him, but making them spend money on something most people don’t want is an exercise in wastefulness.
First it’s meaningless, highschool students have shit idea of what these things mean and just reflecting their parents at this point. As such many years later they would most likely appreciate that their parents views were not superimposed and displayed on them but be sorry for the penalty paid by others on their behalf when they didn’t know shit.
Years later, I still can’t believe I had to wear a fake royal blue tux for my yearbook pic. A t-shirt would have been much better, and much more in keeping with the way I have dressed since.
I haven’t seen my yearbook in decades. So few of the things in high school even matter. That said, much as I despise trump, the editor should lose his/her job. I don’t think the job description includes adding your personal spin to everything.
I’m not sure getting fired is the remedy for every transgression. Just tell the advisor “I *hope *you can refrain from doing this again.”
Doesn’t firing somebody for expressing their political opinion undercut the message that people should be allowed to express their political opinion?
No.
As you must see, in this case the students expressed their political opinion by wearing shirts for their personal yearbook photos; the adviser “expressed his political opinion,” by blocking the display of others’ political short opinions. The two methods of expression differ dramatically.
As long as the political messages on everyone else’s shirts were blacked out, otherwise, this is being blown completely out of proportion by the kids father.
“I want the yearbooks to be reissued and I want a letter from the administration explaining why they are reissuing the yearbook,” Joseph Berardo said.
That sounds fair.
“The high school administration was not aware of and does not condone any censorship of political views on the part of our students. This includes statements that they might make or clothing with references to candidates for public office that they might wear.”
While the HS Admin doesn’t condone political censorship on the part of their students, this political censorship was committed by a person the HS Admin is responsible for - a teacher.
*Both the Berardos and the Dobrovich-Fagos want the school to issue new yearbooks with the original photos and quotes.
“There is an opportunity to use this as a teaching moment for the kids, and for the teachers as well,” Joseph Berardo said. “This is a First Amendment, freedom of speech issue.”*
Ouch! Issuing new yearbooks sounds like a costly proposition. Plus paying any fine a judge may decide is appropriate. The school district can always recoup it’s losses by suing the teacher for gross stoopidity. 
Doesn’t editing their yearbook pictures do the same?
These people should be standing behind the accused editor. It’s a school, they can do whatever they want.
That’s a view I would have trouble adopting.
Again, I’m not saying the advisor should be fired, but I will say it was wrong to censor the photos.
Exactly. Government censorship is just the expression of an opinion!