Neshaminy school board postpones vote on reversing "Redskin" ban

BUCKS COUNTY

School board postpones vote on reversing 'Redskin' ban in newspaper

LANGHORNE The Neshaminy school board has postponed a vote on a proposed policy that would reverse the student newspaper's current ban of the word Redskin, which some of the student editors deemed offensive.

The vote was scheduled for Wednesday's board meeting. But the matter will be discussed further at a board policy meeting next Tuesday because of lingering questions from board members and the public. The earliest possible vote on the policy would be in June.

Some school board members, such as Steve Pirritano, have said the ban infringes on the rights of students who are proud of the term, which is the namesake of the district's sports teams, and might want to use it in an article for the student newspaper, the Playwickian.

However, Adam Goldstein, attorney advocate for the Student Press Law Center, said such a policy would break state and federal laws that protect editors of a student newspaper.

The Playwickian's editors have retained the pro bono counsel of the Philadelphia law firm Levine, Sullivan, Koch & Shulz. - Ben Finley