WASHINGTON — A heated row over the Redskins mascot has resulted in suspensions, free press arguments and a battle of pride and propriety.
The catch: This line in the sand is nowhere near Washington. The yearlong argument is unfolding at a high school northeast of Philadelphia.
Neshaminy High School in Pennsylvania uses the Redskins mascot, a moniker the community — especially the football team — carries proudly.
But last fall, the editors at the student newspaper, the Playwickian, voted on whether to ban the word from its pages.
The vote results came in 14 to 7 in favor of striking the nickname, which they viewed as a racial slur, from going to press.
In the year since that vote, the student newspaper and the administration have been in a tug of war that has played out before curious watchers across the country.
“The student and immediate community reaction compared to the nationwide reaction are polar opposites,” says Madison Buffardi, editor of the op-ed page.
The community has been strongly in favor of the name and its publication. The wider audience, she says, backs the ban.
In the year since, the school’s publication policy has been re-written; the editor-in-chief has been suspended from her post; newspaper adviser Tara Huber, recently named journalism teacher of the year by the state school press association, was suspended two days without pay; and editors weighed legal options.
“If I end up going to court over this and it takes me two or three more years, I would be very enthusiastic about it,” says Reed Hennessy, the editor in chief. “I don’t think this is going to be resolved this year — at all.”
He is adamant the term not be printed. The administration insists it will be, and has overturned the ban.
“They said, either put the word in exactly as it is, or you can’t print the paper,” Buffardi says, recalling a directive on printing an outside letter.
According to her, Publication Policy 600 changed the guidelines to say the paper is not allowed to construe the term “Redskins” as being racist.
“You can’t tell someone how to think about a word,” says Buffardi.
One of the biggest complaints among editors is the new restrictions they face. Comments on stories have been disabled; editors have been locked out of the social media accounts; and they face a longer review process.
Before going to press, principal Rob McGee requires at least 10 days for review, according to editors.
“We can’t have any new news stories,” Buffardi says. “You can’t just publish old news.”
The tension is likely to mount as the Playwickian nears the first edition of the academic year, which is due out Oct. 22.
Hennessy says at this point, editors plan to avoid printing the nickname, even at personal risk. He plans to consult legal advice before determining the best course of action.
The previous suspensions became a cause c
