Eureka High's newspaper pulled off racks

As the managing editor of the Eureka High School newspaper, the Redwood Bark, junior Drew Ross probably figured he'd gain some insight into the role a free press plays in a democracy.

[Umm]

Replace the principal. To censor a simple nude drawing seems to indicate he has little appreciation for world history and culture. That's not the type of person to lead young adults.

[EHS Alumni]

I tried viewing the paper on its website www.redwoodbark.net and I cant seem to find the drawing. It seems to not be there. Can someone help me?

[sunami sam]

I was at a meeting for Access Humboldt on the EHS campus last night where Bob Steffen was repeatedly praised for his vision in helping to create a partnership between Eureka City Schools and the new Media Center. I got the impression he was a man who was trying to encourage a student voice on cable television, rather than restricting it. I get the impression he is a principal who was ridden hard by his superintendent to make the problem disappear, and then put away wet. It would be nice to see Steffen free himself from the bulldog Gregg Haulk, find the strength within himself to do right by the kids, and then tell the right wing complaining parents to kiss his ass.

[anonymous]

Rather than taking the newspapers off the racks, it was taking the racks off of display.

In this culture it is far more acceptable to show a breast being cut off rather than show it being kissed.

[Liberal]

If the drawing is not obscene, the T-S should print it alongside the story.

It is hard to imagine forming an educated opinion on this question without seeing the problematic drawing. And, of course, printing the drawing would show that the newspaper stands with the free-speech side, not the censorship side.

[SNB]

I went to the website of the paper & didn't see the "offending" drawing. Anyone else have same problem?

[Common Sense]

Eureka High is not a democracy. It is a school for children, the vast majority of which are minor children.
The Times Standard can't even print a copy of the picture.

Children are always pushing the envelope. If this drawing was allowed, sooner or later the children would be publishing nude or semi nude pictures.

The principle acted like an adult. Perhaps Middlemas should try doing the same.

[anonymous]

The school is going to loose and the students are going to win.....the law is on the students side.
Lets hope the students decide not to bankrupt the eureka school system with a civil rights lawsuit.

[anonymous]

The New Yorker often has tits and beaver on display in drawings and photographs. Anybody can susscribe or look at it on the newstand (that is, if we HAD a newstand up here in Humbdolt) What's the big deal?

No wonder so many high school pregnancies. It would be better for everyone of the school taught people how to do fantastic blowjobs because then people wouldn't try to raise kids before they should.

Taking racks off the racks is shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.

[anonymous]

But the T-S DOES stand with the censorship side; it just want it to be KNOWN that it does.

It is sort of like the American supports secular democracies in the world except Israel, Saudi Arabia, and so on...

[WEAK SAUCE]

Bob Steffen has become such a square. Bob who are we kidding. Back in your hey day at St. Bernards you where all for free expression and loved to booze it up. Now you have become a white-collar weasel who caves from any pressure. Bob, dont be such a pansy. Remember back when you where in high school and all the fun it was. Dont pull the plug on something good when a small minority who is complaining can only understand pictures, but cant read. I hope some parent takes Bob and the board to court, if not through some legal ramblings because what he did was practically illegal.

[anonymous]

Maybe that's why Arcata High School is the feeder school for Stanford, Harvard and UC Berkeley, not Eureka High.

[Transplanted]

This is a HIGH SCHOOL paper- 90% of HS students are, in fact, minors and nudity, however charmingly presented, is inappropriate in a publication whose audience is so overwhelmingly made up of minors.
The young artist is blessed to have access to a wide range of venues for showing and honing her craft,and a community that is so supportive of its artists but the school newspaper is not a suitable venue for nudes.

[Dangerous Dan]

I had the same problem as another commenter. They censored the online version of the paper too. Looks like the school violated their students' first amendment rights. Hmm, I smell a potential lawsuit here.

[anonymous]

The local idiots are out in force again today. I think it is very likely little dear Molly, your 17 year old snowflake at Eureka High, knows how to give a blow job rather than she would be upset at seeing a unrealistic nude fantasy drawing on a page of the school paper.

God grow up this ain't 1953 anymore. The nude body is not shameful.

[Katie]

My daughter is in MIDDLE SCHOOL, not even High School, and I love her art. I encourage her to draw human anatomy, and have no problem with discussing it with her. There is no shame in the human body, and the small description made of the piece doesn't sound harmful in the slightest. This double standard is typical of our society. We sit on the edge of our seats to watch the latest gossip about who wore what, and who had sex with who, but we try to pretend that our children aren't in the same room catching glimpes of the trash. Then we're surprised and ashamed when they emulate what they see on television. Nude figures with fairies and the like hardly seem as degrading as what I see on television at 3pm. It's a student run newspaper that clearly the "establishment" hasn't had much pull with before. Why are they acting now? Because some parents were afraid they'd have to have a "birds and bees" discussion with their teenagers who are probably already sharing condoms and taking trips to Victoria's Secret to find cute underwear to wear for their boyfriends on prom night. Too little, too late, my fellow parents. Wake up and see the lives your children are already living.

[WEAK SAUCE]

Bob is very confused. We should be smart enough to know the views expressed in the Bark are not those of the high school, but those of the students. Parents dont kid yourself. Your son or daughter is saying, texting, and expressing themself in everyway possible that would be offensive in some way to another. We can not censor it all. The drawing was not obscene or pornographic. Your little baby bear is out there either smoking pot, taking a chew in the senior parking lot, steaing from your liqour cabinet, or sending a picture message of their private parts to their signifigant other. I will continue to run my ads in the Bark and will continue to support student journalism.

[PaveTheRedwoods]

it would be up to the court to decide if there was a 1st amendment violation. the court gets to decide if it is considered obscene or not, which is not protected speech. we all know there are limits to our "freedoms" and we shouldn't act as if anything that's printed anywhere is protected, because it's not. however, it doesn't sound like this drawing would fall under the obscenity category and if the school wants toprevent another incident, then they'll need to review the content before hand from now on.

Just remember the reporting you hear from here or anywhere is never unbiased. Everyone has an opinion and we don't have all of the facts to form an justifiable opinion of the situation, just a bunch of assumption based guesses.

[jimbo]

For crying out loud, most of these "minor children" are seeing worse than this everyday on TV, movies and supermarket checkout newsstands.

[Observer]

We live in a democracy folks! Stand up for your rights kids!