Marin County high school fury over censorship of student paper

A high school student newspaper in Marin County is at the center of a growing fight centered around press freedoms — and advocacy groups across the country are stepping in to defend it.

The Redwood Bark, the award-winning student paper at Redwood High School in Northern California’s Larkspur, has come under local scrutiny over its recent editorial decisions.

These included a February cover photo from a student protest in San Francisco that allegedly showcased antisemitic rhetoric, including the phrases “Students Against” and “Zionism.” The inclusion of this photo sparked several complaints from community members who support Israel, leading to an investigation by the Tamalpais Union High School District.

Additionally, an Instagram post from the student paper referencing the name of a person mentioned in the released Jeffrey Epstein files drew further ire.

The post named a French national as allegedly “providing models” to convicted sex offender Epstein. When the woman threatened to sue the school district if her name was not removed, Superintendent Courtney Goode directed the students to take the post down.

The Bark ultimately removed it under pressure, only to reportedly restore it later.

These reported censorship measures led longtime faculty adviser to the Bark, Erin Schneider, to take an abrupt leave of absence, citing “significant resistance” to doing her job.

Now, major press freedom organizations are pushing back hard on behalf of the students.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), headquartered in Philadelphia, PA., sent a letter last week to Superintendent Goode, urging the district to drop its investigations and stop any censorship practices.

“As federal and state law bar administrators from interfering with the Bark’s editorial independence, we urge the district to end its investigation into The Bark and stop any other censorship practices,” FIRE attorney Marie McMullan wrote in the letter, according to the Marin Independent Journal.

Goode said in an email response to FIRE that public complaints surrounding the controversial editorial choice have been “resolved,” including restoring the redacted name, according to the Independent Journal.

However, critics argue that launching formal reviews in response to complaints creates a chilling effect on student reporters.

The First Amendment Coalition in San Rafael, Northern California came out in support of the student reporters, with attorney David Loy calling for the district to immediately end its probe into the publication of what he described as “a single news photograph.”

“Nothing about the publication of this photograph even remotely violated this statute,” Loy said, citing California Education Code Section 48907, which he claimed “expresses guarantees that for student newspapers at high schools, that students have control over editorial content and process, subject to very limited oversight and restraint.”

A rep for FIRE insisted that the organization was not acting on behalf of students in any potential legal suit, but rather, was “doing public advocacy on their behalf,” according to EdSource.

“Administrators would rather soothe the hurt feelings of third parties than stand by the important work of their student journalists,” FIRE’s McMullan said. “Fortunately, the First Amendment and California law compel the district to uphold student press freedom.”

Parent Susan Harris, whose child works on the Bark, hopes the pressure leads to clear board-approved policies that strongly affirm student press rights.

“I hope this opens the door for the district to work collaboratively with students and these organizations to adopt clear board-approved policies supporting student press rights, which has been the goal from the beginning,” she said.

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