Student paper's use of epithet sets off uproar

 19 comment(s)  
 E-mail Story
 Print Story
  Share

 digg it!
 Facebook
 del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit

Text Size: 

Tools Sponsor

By The Associated Press

Omaha school district administrators have suspended the principal of a high school whose student newspaper carried a four-page section discussing use of a volatile racial epithet.

The front page of the Benson Gazette’s 12-page edition Tuesday included a letter warning readers about the some of the words inside.

“We use language that may make people uncomfortable, but we feel that the use of language is justified in our mission to inform our readers of issues important to them,” said editor-in-chief Sarah Swift.

The section began on Page 9, under the heading: “The N-Word.”

The full word “nigger” was used throughout the pages as students talked about why they used the word, some derivatives including “nigga” and the unwritten rules about who can use the words and when — if ever.

Epithets thrown at people of other races, cultures or national origins were also discussed.

Said one student, Jeda Robinson: “I used the ’N’ word because it’s a habit. It has become synonymous with not only black culture, but with what is considered ’black.’ “

Said another, Jake Barrickman: “I said it once, and I ended up getting jumped for it. ... It’s a word with its own set of rules.”

On Page 11 was an edited transcript of a Q&A conducted during a class on ethics studies.

The district on Friday issued a statement strongly criticizing the section:

“The Omaha Public Schools has never condoned and cannot support the actions which recently resulted in the inappropriate articles published in the Benson High Gazette.

“Unacceptable decision-making by staff has violated the standards set forth by the Omaha Public Schools to appropriately guide and educate our students.”

Spokeswoman Luanne Nelson said the district office received calls expressing concern about the content and said some district employees and some community members and students were offended by the words.

The newspaper has been removed from the school’s Web site, and the district was investigating to determine what action might be taken, Nelson said.

Principal Lisa Dale was put on administrative leave Friday, and her future status is pending the investigation, Nelson said.

Sophomore Ciara Lee, 15, said the articles “brought out the thoughts about it that people have anyway.”

Journalism adviser Jerred Zegelis said Friday that he didn’t know the administration was so displeased and that he had not been contacted for an investigation.

“Nothing so far,” he said. “I’m sure something will happen.”

He said he and Dale had consulted on the questionable language and topic, as district policy dictates.

Attempts to reach Dale and Zegelis on Saturday were unsuccessful.

John Bender, who teaches journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is also executive director of the Nebraska High School Press Association. Nothing that he read alarmed his journalistic sensibilities, although he said some comments may have come close to crossing the line.

He commended the students for addressing such a serious topic. “It’s a part of their culture, and I think they need to talk about it in order to understand it,” Bender said.

Said district spokeswoman Nelson:

“There is no question that the students had a valid, spirited discussion regarding this topic.” But a high school newspaper may not be the right place to hold the discussion, she said, “because, as a printed piece, it can be misinterpreted.”

Swift, the top editor, disagreed.

“Why would we have newspapers at all? It may make people uncomfortable, but you can’t talk about things that people are always OK with. We can’t just ignore the bad things and hope they go away.”

She said the section was inspired by a Martin Luther King Jr. Day speech at the school.

The Rev. Darryl Eure of Freestone Baptist Church in Omaha “made a call to action,” Swift said. “He said ’We can’t use this word.’ “

Benson’s racial makeup for the 2006-07 school year: about 46 percent black, 41 percent white, 10 percent Hispanic and less than 2 percent each Asian-American and American Indian.

The high school Web site says Benson has 1,500 students “who reflect a wondrous blend of races, cultures, nationalities, and economic and social backgrounds working and learning together.”