The Springdale School District has decided to allow student newspaper articles previously removed from the Har-Ber High School Herald’s website to be reposted online, according to a statement issued this afternoon by the district’s communications director, Rick Schaeffer.
In October, the Herald published the results of an investigation into the transfer of five varsity football players from Har-Ber to Springdale High School during the 2017 school year. The district did not appreciate the scrutiny. As first reported by Buzzfeed, the stories were taken offline, the newspaper was suspended and a teacher was threatened with termination.
After the Buzzfeed story was published, an uproar ensued over the district’s adverse (and possibly illegal) action against the student journalists. Dave Ramsey took a close look at the controversy on the Arkansas Blog yesterday.
KSFM 5 News reports on Schaeffer’s statement. “After continued consideration of the legal landscape, the Springdale School District has concluded that the Har-Ber Herald articles may be reposted,” he wrote. “This matter is complex, challenging and has merited thorough review. The social and emotional well-being of all students has been and continues to be a priority of the district.