Montana principal appealing suspension over topless photos in school paper
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Robbie Reynold, KPAX News
MISSOULA — A school principal suspended for allowing topless photos in a school newspaper is fighting back.
Willard High School Principal Jane Bennett is appealing her suspension for controversial pictures that appeared the student publication, the Willard Wire.
Jane Bennett is represented by attorney Paul Leisher. At this time they aren’t commenting on the suspension.
Bennett was disciplined for this issue of the Willard Wire, in which six individuals appear on the front page topless. There is also another picture of two topless people on inside of the paper. Those pictures were connected to a student story on the “Free the Nipple” campaign, a national effort to allow girls and women to be topless in same situations that men and boys are allowed to be topless.
Leisher says that he and his client will present their case for an appeal at a board of trustees meeting. That meeting has yet to be scheduled, but essentially the board will hear Bennett’s arguments and then they can form their decision.
According to Missoula County Public Schools, this meeting will be open to the public, but the public will not be allowed to comment.
Once the controversial edition of the school paper was released, MCPS seized every edition they could find.
In addition to the photos, officials said inappropriate language in the paper also violated district policy.
MCPS has been referencing policy 3221, which states that no publication can be libelous, obscene, or profane.
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