Gay-rights article stirs debate over student freedoms

Amy Sorrell figured the articles on teen pregnancy, teen motherhood and sexually transmitted diseases would be controversial, so she submitted them to her principal before publishing.
   
But the Woodlan Junior-Senior High School teacher didn’t preapprove a student column calling for tolerance toward gays and lesbians that appeared in the same edition of the school paper.

Little did she know, that piece would make state and national news — and get her suspended from her job this month.

“If we can talk about herpes and gonorrhea on one page, we should be able to talk about tolerance on the next page,” says Sorrell, who doesn’t believe she did anything wrong.

The controversy in this northeast Indiana town has found its way to national media outlets and has raised objections and concern from national journalism groups.

The case has also triggered debate over how much freedom student publications should have and how much editorial control principals should wield.