Posted on 02/24/2005 2:30:36 PM PST by JKrive
HUDSON -- After a legal defense team took an interest in the new student Conservative Club's claims of censorship, Hudson High School is now investigating some teaching practices for potential biases and inconsistencies.
However, the school will not budge on allowing students to advertise a controversial conservative Web site, said Principal John Stapelfeld.
English and social studies teachers have been asked to make sure all sides of an issue are represented in materials and teaching, Stapelfeld said.
"We are in the process of reviewing the curricula to assure we can be better balanced, if we have, in fact, not been balanced."
Last week, the Pacific Justice Institute of California had asked Stapelfeld to lift its ban on allowing the recently formed Conservative Club to advertise on its posters the Web site for High School Conservative Clubs of America Web, www.hscca.org, created by a 17-year-old from California and his classmates.
School officials initially took down the first posters because they listed the conservative Web site.
Stapelfeld said the site is still prohibited in the school because it promotes violence, such as links to videotapes of American beheadings in Iraq. But publicizing the Web site is protected free speech, lawyer Matthew McReynolds of the Pacific Justice Institute said. Student Chris Bowler, who started the club, said equally violent material, such as the movie "Schindler's List" and photos of the lynching of Emmett Till are already shown in classes.
Bowler and friend James Melillo founded the club to counteract the school's liberal atmosphere that they said left little room for dissent. The club meets regularly and hosts speakers on topics such as abortion and traditional marriage.
Teachers and students will continue to debate and discuss controversial topics, Stapelfeld said.
"We're just taking a look at all of (the claims), to better determine where we need to go." The school may revise the student handbook to include guidelines for student club advertising.
"It sounds like the school is in the process of a review that is going to end up beneficial for everyone involved," McReynolds said, although "I think the school could go a lot further."
Bowler said it sounds like things are moving in the right direction, but he he is not yet convinced and has not decided yet whether to push ahead with legal action.
"I think it's great (Stapelfeld) is saying he's looking at changing in the classroom," he said. "I still think we should be able to have the Web site (on our posters)."
Jonathan
HSCCA
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