In re: Mitchell Sell

Paula Knudsen

In March, 2006, Mitchell Sell, an 11th grade student at Red Lion High School in York County, opined on the unsightly and unhealthy dirt of his school via an op-ed piece in his school newspaper, The Leonid.  According to Mitch, he was called down to the school office soon after publication and told by school administrators to refute what he said and print a retraction.  The administrators threatened to remove him from the newspaper staff, according to Mitch's account.  (Administrators denied all of this when confronted by the ACLU.)

This young H.L. Mencken decided to take a stand for freedom of the press and freedom of speech and contacted the ACLU.  With the help of staff attorney Paula Knudsen, this situation resolved itself without litigation.  Mitch remained on the staff of The Leonid and did not have to print a retraction.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

The Hard Sell  The controversial op-ed

School response to Sell complaint

Legal Documents