When Sabino High School’s principal Mathew Munger made national news last year for his bizarre censorship of students’ yearbooks, most people thought he learned his lesson. Apparently Munger is a slow learner and his censorship antics have outraged parents, and school board members again.
Last year, when students opened up their new yearbooks they were surprised to find little patches of black and yellow duct-type tape scattered across the pages. According to sources, the censors in Sabino’s administration scrambled to cover the ten “offensive” comments offered by mostly seniors with tape in time for graduation day.
This year Munger and his crack crew omitted senior quotes that someone decided were “inappropriate” before the books were published (so they didn’t have to cover the quotes with black tape).
According to sources a few of the quotes that were removed are:
“*lays egg*” – as in a sensational news story; something impossible, extraordinary
“I meant to behave, but there were too many other options.”
“Hi, I’m XXXX and this is my amazing web show.” – a reference to a web show the student did as a child
“Are you feeling it now Mr. Krabs?” – from the Sponge Bob cartoon
“Many quotes are meant to be inside jokes with friends or have a special meaning to the student. Are the quotes not allowed to be humorous? I don’t think last year’s quotes that were covered were inappropriate either,” one person wrote the District. The person added that someone needs to let principal Munger know that Sabino HS is not his celestial kingdom.
Board member Michael Hicks said he was concerned that once again “we have an adult making decisions about what is offensive based on little or no understanding of the popular culture. They see things that just are not there and read meaning into things that kids don’t intend. We need to be less reactionary, and more willing to give kids the benefit of the doubt. When in doubt – don’t censor. This is their yearbook, not the adults’.”
When asked about the censorship last year, TUSD’s Superintendent H.T. Sanchez did not define unacceptable. The District could employ United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart who developed the test for obscenity in Jacobellis v. Ohio; you know it when you see it.
Sabino Censhorship 2014
That test may have been employed to censor the comment left by one student who wrote, “Come getcha some –Turtleman,” if Turtleman is a well-known porn gimmick or star. Otherwise, the unacceptable nature of “Turtleman” comment was lost on everyone but the censors. Readers could not fathom why the comment earned the duct tape seal of disapproval.
Some readers were shocked that TUSD administration did not cover at least one reference to God. However, they feel certain that had it been give the once over by the District’s central office administration, it would have been gone.
While they tolerated God, they found some metaphors to be unacceptable. One girl’s comment that she was “drunk on you and high on summer time” earned her the black tape of shame.
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