Students, parents say some Wall Township High School yearbook photos were censored

Josh Einiger Image
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Students, parents say some high school yearbook photos were censored
Josh Einiger reports on the yearbook controversy from Wall Township, New Jersey.

WALL TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WABC) -- Something's fishy behind the scenes of the Wall Township High School yearbook.



It started with Junior Wyatt Dobrovich-Fago's Donald Trump sweater vest. When his picture wearing the vest was published in the yearbook, the logo was gone.



"Maybe they just cropped it out and it wasn't something I should worry about, they just did it," Wyatt said.



But then his sister Montana, the freshman class president, was wondering whatever became of the Donald Trump quote she submitted.



"I like thinking big, if you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big. By Donald Trump," Montana said, recounting the quote.



The senior class's president's FDR quote made it, but Montana's was missing. "I sent it in on time, everything was good, and it wasn't there," Montana said.



"And I'm like, well that's kind of crazy two things against Trump in a way," Wyatt said.



Questionable omissions to be sure, but not nearly as blatant as another student's, Grant Berardo's, before and after photos.



"It's serious because it's censorship," said Joe Berardo, student's father.



The school superintendent does not disagree. "There is nothing in our student dress code," she wrote to parents, "that would prevent a student from expressing his or her political views. The high school administration does not condone any censorship. The actions of the staff involved will be addressed as soon as the investigation is concluded."



Berardo's father wants the books reprinted at the district's expense.



"It's a teaching moment. It's a teaching moment for all the kids to understand that someone made a bad decision. That decision has consequences and therefore we're reissuing this because it was a violation of somebody's First Amendment rights and there was censorship. That's it," Berardo said.

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