Vancouver student newspaper says school board policy unfairly restricts its freedom of expression
The Griffins’ Nest, an independent student newspaper based at Vancouver's Eric Hamber Secondary School, is calling on the Vancouver School Board (VSB) to amend some of its new policies.
The group believes the policies infringe on its rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and will have a big impact on what stories it can publish.
“It’s kind of ridiculous how much they’re willing to really suspend or how much they’re willing to sacrifice in lieu of students’ voices,” said Stephen Kosar, one of the newspaper’s student executive editors.
He said the school board has given the organization a hard time for previous stories it has published, most notably one that critiques the board’s decision to end a special education program.
Now, he said, the board has implemented new policies that can control club-related communication and social media.
Kosar's team is now worried this could limit their freedom of expression.
“It’s very clear these policies are inspired by us. I mean, as the people who, for fun, monitor the district’s agenda, we can’t think of anything else that might have – besides ourselves – that would have initiated a policy like this,” said Spencer Izen, the newspaper’s student editor-in-chief.
In a statement, the VSB said, in part, that its “administrative procedures do not contravene the Charter.”
"The district does not agree that there has been any censorship, or that the procedures in question are directed to censoring one student newspaper. The procedures are in place to ensure consistency amongst the hundreds of student clubs in the district,” the statement reads.
“I’ve heard that line," said Izen. "We’ve heard that from the Vancouver School District during their May 11 meeting.”
“That’s really not the case. A lot of those policies are really not what’s being employed,” he added.
Meghan McDermott of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) said this is the first time a case like this was brought to her attention.
“All of these laws are always subject to our Charter rights just by virtue of them being in our constitution. They’re a primary source of law. And they will always override the ability of any state official,” she told CTV News.
“It’s nice to know that they’re thinking about how the Charter plays into this," she continued. "Obviously, having consistency is, across organizations, a key goal for any particular policy. We would just question, you know, what’s the need for this one then?”
The BCCLA and the Canadian Association of Journalists wrote an open letter calling on the board to amend its policies as the organizations fear other school districts will follow suit.
“It’s also scary to think about how this can have a domino effect and encourage other public school districts to take a similar approach to how they treat their students,” said McDermott.
The VSB said it will be meeting with the students to hear their concerns, and while the students say they're hopeful for change, they expect more resistance from the board in the months to come.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live updates: What star witness in Trump hush money case has said on the stand so far
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Steve Buscemi punched in the face while walking in N.Y.C.
Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi has been treated for injuries after being punched in the face while walking in New York City.
'Be very, very careful': Wildfire conditions 'still extreme,' says Alberta fire chief
As wildfire conditions remain 'extreme' in northern Alberta, residents are being urged to be extra cautious and follow a fire ban.
Wildfire smoke drifts across Canada, over parts of U.S., prompting air quality advisories
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
Canucks' Zadorov fined $5,000 for post-game crosscheck on Oilers' McDavid
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been given the highest possible fine under the NHL's collective bargaining agreement after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
COMING UP @ 3:30 P.M. City of Ottawa negligent in allowing Uber to operate outside of taxi bylaw, judge rules
An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled that the City of Ottawa was negligent in its enforcement of the city's taxi bylaw when it allowed Uber to begin operating in 2014, harming the city's established taxi industry.
Jerry Seinfeld speech prompts pro-Palestinian demonstration at U.S. university graduation ceremony
A tiny contingent of Duke University graduates opposed pro-Israel comedian Jerry Seinfeld speaking at their commencement in North Carolina Sunday, with about 30 of the 7,000 students leaving their seats and chanting "free Palestine" amid a mix of boos and cheers.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.