Students at Copper Hills High School in West Jordan got a lesson in censorship this week with the principal's recall of Chasms , the school's award-winning literary magazine.
Objecting to nightmarish, grotesque artwork and "PG-13" profanity, Copper Hills principal Todd Quarnberg confiscated the 2009 edition prior to its release at a student-organized benefit concert on Tuesday.
Quarnberg said the recall is temporary pending a thorough review of the book-length magazine; he may still approve it, publish an edited version or yank it permanently.
"I'm impressed by it. It's a beautiful piece of work. I haven't read the whole thing, so I can't say whether it's a departure from previous years," said Quarnberg. "I just want an opportunity to review it before I send it out, to make sure it's age appropriate."
Students, however, fear that with school ending in less than two weeks, Quarnberg's decision may come too late.
The purpose of Tuesday's concert was to sell magazine copies and recoup publication costs, said the event's organizer, 17-year-old Katie Ainge.
Ainge is on medical leave from Copper Hills, but her poem was to be published this year along with other student artwork, photography and short stories.
"Everyone is really disappointed. It's a pretty big deal. All the creative juices of Copper Hills are in there," said Ainge. "I haven't seen a copy and I can't imagine what was so objectionable."
Time is of the essence from a legal standpoint too.
"A principal can't just tuck the publication inside his desk and let it collect dust," said Frank LaMonte, executive director at the Student Press Law Center in Arlington, Va., a free-press advocacy group.
In "Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier," LaMonte said, the U.S. Supreme Court gave administrators leeway to censor "curricular" publications, such as school newspapers that are produced for a grade or as part of a lab or classroom exercise. But the censorship has to be driven by "legitimate educational concerns," said LaMonte. "It can't be about preserving the principal's image or school's reputation."
Schools, however, are generally forbidden from interfering with "open-forum" publications, such as political fliers, unless the editorial content is significantly disruptive, "like showing kids how to hack into school computers and change grades," LaMonte said. "The decisive factor in view of the Supreme Court is who is the gatekeeper, the principal or student editor? If historically, the principal has had to sign off on every word, then you probably have a curricular publication."
Chasms has received national acclaim; it's a two-time winner of the Pacemaker Award, the National Scholastic Press Association's highest honor.
The literary magazine is designed and edited as part of a class taught by Lou Jessop, who declined to comment on the censorship, saying only he's confident "we'll work things out."
It is paid for by student fees, however, and anyone in the school can submit entries, said Ainge, who doubts past principals "ever even read it."
Jordan School District had no part in the decision but supports the principal, said district spokesman Melinda Colton. "It's his school."
Quarnberg, a native of Scipio, took the helm at Copper Hills just two months ago. He has received no complaints from parents about the magazine, but said he feels "accountable" to the community and believes that in marketing the magazine, students should weigh its marketability.
"I'm certainly not the most conservative guy. But I do have some core values that I won't cross or jeopardize ... My name is on this. The school's name is on this," said Quarnberg. "I will make my decision shortly. I have a bunch of students who have poured their hearts and soul into this. It's not something that I've placed on my desk, hoping it will all blow over by graduation."
