§ Case file · Ongoing

The Gretna East censorship case.

A factual record of the censorship of student media at Gretna East High School, the appeal that followed, and the demands that remain unresolved.

On February 12, 2026, administrators at Gretna Public Schools removed an editorial cartoon by student journalist Aidan McClaren two days after its publication in The Wingspan, the student newspaper of Gretna East High School. The same administrators imposed prior review on a follow-up article reporting on the censorship.

A formal appeal was filed with the Board of Education on March 30. Three organizations—the Student Press Law Center, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and the Kuhlmeier Foundation—have entered the record in support of the students. The district has retained outside counsel. The cartoonist went on to win Class B at the Nebraska state journalism competition in April. None of the three demands of the appeal has been met.

Three asks. Still unmet.

§ I — Demands

Adopt a formal student media policy that establishes editorial decisions as the responsibility of student editors and faculty advisers, not administrators.

Unmet

Reinstate the removed editorial cartoon and permit the student newspaper to publish its censorship reporting without administrative interference.

Unmet

End the practice of administrative prior review of student media content.

Unmet

The record, in order.

§ II — Timeline

Feb 10 · 2026 Editorial cartoon by Aidan McClaren is published in The Wingspan, the student newspaper of Gretna East High School.
Feb 12 · 2026 Gretna Public Schools administrators direct that the cartoon be removed from publication. Prior review is imposed on follow-up reporting about the removal.
Mar 4 · 2026 A meeting between Nicholas Mitchell and the Gretna East principal results in the position that the demands "cannot be met because it's a school."
Mar 6 · 2026 The district's Director of Human Resources, not an educator or journalism adviser, sends written justification for the censorship to the editor-in-chief of The Wingspan.
Mar 23 · 2026 Superintendent Travis Lightle acknowledges in writing that the district is "working on updating current policies" governing student media.
Mar 30 · 2026 A formal appeal is filed with all six members of the Board of Education, with seven supporting enclosures including a letter from the Student Press Law Center.
Mar 31 · 2026 The Student Press Law Center publishes a public record of the case on its blog.
Apr 2 · 2026 Nebraska Public Media publishes the first independent media coverage of the case.
Apr 7 · 2026 The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sends a formal letter to the Board calling the censorship unconstitutional and requesting a substantive response by April 15.
Apr 13 · 2026 Three students speak in public comment at the Board of Education special planning session. Board members publicly express that they are "working on it" and that the students are "doing everything correctly."
Apr 15 · 2026 Outside legal counsel retained by Gretna Public Schools (Perry, Guthery, Haase & Gessford) responds to FIRE's letter. The response does not engage the legal argument.
Apr 22 · 2026 FIRE sends a second letter to the Board, restating the constitutional argument the district's outside counsel declined to engage.
Apr 26 · 2026 The cartoonist wins Class B at the Nebraska state journalism competition.

On the record.

§ III — Organizations

Student Press Law Center

Lead legal support. Authored letter of support for the appeal; published public coverage on March 31.

SPLC →

Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

Sent formal letter to the Board on April 7 calling the censorship unconstitutional. Maintains a public case page.

FIRE →

Kuhlmeier Foundation

Two letters of support to the Board: one from Cathy Kuhlmeier, one from the Foundation's executive director.

Apr 2026

The papers on file.

§ IV — Documents

The censored cartoon Republished here with the author's permission. View →
The censored editorial The article that was placed under prior review, then ignored. Now published in full. Read →
Formal appeal to the Board Filed March 30 with seven supporting enclosures, addressed to all six board members. View →
FIRE letter to the Board Public letter calling the censorship unconstitutional. View →
District response to FIRE Written by outside counsel. Does not engage the legal argument. View →
FIRE's second letter Follow-up to the district's outside counsel response — restates the constitutional argument the district declined to engage. View →

Where it's been covered.

§ V — Press

Nebraska Public Media First independent reporting. Published April 2. Read →
Student Press Law Center Case writeup published March 31. Read →
The Daily Cartoonist Coverage on April 1 and April 7, framing the case as a cartoonist rights matter. Apr 2026
The Reader Republished the Nebraska Public Media reporting on April 3. Apr 3, 2026

The case is still open. Sign on, read on, or get in touch.

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