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Halls of Shame, Part 8

There must be something up in Florida because yet another principal there has gone out of his way to enter our Hall of Shame.
This time, the student journalists of the “PawPrint” at Deltona High School haven’t had the chance to print their latest issue because Principal Gary Marks is slowly, slowly, slowly reviewing EIGHT different pieces to see if they meet his no doubt high journalistic standards.
Among the stories, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, is one about the resignation of the school’s football coach, always a touchy subject. Another controversial piece is an editorial calling for the arrest of four students involved in a car crash that killed a freshman at the school. And then there’s a column about Satanism, which is always fun.
But we know what it’s really all about.
As the Daytona paper put it: “Irate student editor Eric Ritter, a senior, said the school can’t handle criticism so it censored the students’ articles. As an example, Ritter pointed to an opinion article he wrote scolding the school for purchasing a $700 television for the front office while teachers face limits on the numbers of photocopies they are allowed to make. ‘This is them covering themselves because they don’t want parents to read that they’re spending money on things that aren’t necessary,’ the 17-year-old said.
Now you just know that’s what got to censorious Mr. Marks. There’s nothing like blowing the whistle on a $700 tv set for the front office to guarantee trouble with the administration.
And you have to love Eric Ritter, who seems to have both the poise and the news sense to make it in the news biz.
So, Mr. Marks, you probably won’t see this on your big new tv, but congratulations on your new induction into the Hall of Shame that we here at The Tattoo created to honor jerks in positions of authority who have no respect for freedom of the high school press.

PS: Hey, Eric, come write for The Tattoo!

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