This page is a continuing draft and may be updated as thoughts develop and new information emerges.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this piece are my own and should not be interpreted as those of the rest of Gretna East Media. As a reporter for GEM, I have a direct stake in the events described below, but this piece was written independently and not at the direction or request of GEM or its staff.

Yesterday, March 30, 2026 we filed a formal appeal to the Gretna Public Schools (GPS) Board of Education. The appeal addresses the removal of an editorial cartoon from Gretna East Media and the imposition of prior review on subsequent reporting on the matter.

In February 2026, an editorial cartoon about a news story was removed by admin. When students began reporting on the removal, admin required pre-approval before publication. The justification came from the Director of Human Resources, someone without a defined role in student journalism.

While investigating the removal, students discovered that no student media policy exists anywhere in the district’s board policies, rather, the district’s own Controversial Issues policy encourages the kind of student expression that was censored. The superintendent then acknowledged in writing that the district is working on updating policies.

We are making three demands:

1. Adopt a formal student press freedom policy establishing that editorial decisions belong to student editors and their faculty advisers, not to school administrators.

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

3. End the practice of administrative prior review of student media content. Faculty advisers are the appropriate check on student journalism, not administrators.

The petition has gathered over 360 signatures from students, parents, and community members and the Student Press Law Center has reviewed the appeal and provided a letter of support.

Thank you to everyone who has signed, shared, and spoken up in support. We will update the community as the process moves forward.