Montana school board stands by principal's suspension over topless photos - East Idaho News
Montana

Montana school board stands by principal’s suspension over topless photos

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Missoula, MT (KPAX) — The Missoula County Public Schools board of trustees will not be reversing its disciplinary action against Willard School principal Jane Bennett.

She was suspended following a controversial article published in that school’s student newspaper The Willard Wire late last January.

“There was an opportunity there for the teacher to teach the kids that they can say the same thing using different words. That was a teachable moment that was lost,” said trustee Diane Lorenzen.

The board voted nearly unanimously to uphold Bennett’s suspension.

The offending article was about the Free the Nipple campaign and featured a photo of six topless individuals. The school also argues the article contained quotations that included swearing, which violates district policy.

Bennett’s attorney argued that the punishment is unjust and will create dangerous precedent for school officials, while MCPS legal counsel maintained the board is obligated to uphold policy.

“Nobody is ever going to take a risk again in this district as long as that is how we treat our principals in these situations,” said Bennett’s attorney Paul Leisher.

“There isn’t a school district that I’m aware of in the world that allows students to use those words in a school sponsored publication,” rebutted MCPS legal counsel Elizabeth Kaleva.

Bennett’s punishment was a three day unpaid suspension.

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