19 student staff has continued to ban the word from the Playwickian , so it still faces challenges . Timothy Cho , 2015- 16 editor-in-chief , said that , because the newspaper ’ s yearly budget was cut again , the staff had to raise more money and sell more ads . Believing that their allocation was disproportionately lower than those of other extracurricular activities , editors asked to see records of what other groups received . The request was denied .
19 student staff has continued to ban the word from the Playwickian , so it still faces challenges . Timothy Cho , 2015- 16 editor-in-chief , said that , because the newspaper ’ s yearly budget was cut again , the staff had to raise more money and sell more ads . Believing that their allocation was disproportionately lower than those of other extracurricular activities , editors asked to see records of what other groups received . The request was denied .
When a majority of editors voted last spring to use “ R------ “ in a story about the school ’ s annual Mr . Redskin pageant , one of the editors appealed to the administration . The principal ordered editors to use “ Redskin ” when the story was posted online in May , the one month when there was no printed issue . The staff refused , citing the editorial control given them in the most recent school policy — plus the Pennsylvania School Code and the First Amendment . Administrators responded by immediately locking down the website and revoking the editors ’ administrative privileges to the newspaper ’ s site . School officials then uploaded the article to the website — with the word “ Redskin .”
As this saga drags on , there are several bittersweet footnotes :
• Tara Huber , the journalism teacher throughout the controversy , told her principal that because of this latest censorship she was resigning as Playwickian adviser .
• Legal counsel representing Timothy Cho sent a detailed letter in June to Neshaminy ’ s school officials , requesting that they restore the paper ’ s website and control of it to the student editor .
• Donna Boyle continues her battle to have the mascot replaced . Seventeen months after filing her complaint , the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission said that Neshaminy ’ s use of Redskins is “ racially derogatory ” and creates a “ hostile educational environment .” That January 2015 ruling told school officials to “ cease and desist unlawfully discriminating against its students because of their race ” within a “ reasonable amount of time .” Since Boyle wants the mascot replaced and school officials have suggested anything BUT removal , a stalemate exists . The 11-member PHRC planned a public hearing for last summer . No action has been reported .
While it ’ s unclear whether Neshaminy High School ’ s athletes will remain the Redskins , there ’ s no doubt that its student journalists have struck a chord in this community and raised its consciousness . “ Parents have discouraged some students from joining the staff ,” Gillian noted , “ but those who stayed , or joined the staff , are students who feel more strongly about continuing the ban and taking the moral position of the newspaper .”
Gillian remains confident that it was worth the struggle . “ It ’ s ignorant and blind not to acknowledge that this mascot affects the self-image of Native Americans ,” she said . “ It ’ s just not right if we fail to acknowledge what their feelings are . We can ’ t define the word for them , but it clearly dehumanizes them . I hope the staff keeps fighting for this .”