OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – An Oshkosh North High School student says the district violated his First Amendment rights. The student claims district leaders pulled an article he wrote from the school newspaper’s website.
The student journalist Brock Doemel also says after the story was taken down, he was pulled out of class and taken to the principal’s office, where he says he was intimidated and questioned, regarding his source.
Doemel explaining his interaction with Oshkosh North High’s principal Jacqueline Kiffmeyer.
“She put her hands on her desk, and looked at me and said, ‘Brock, sooner or later you’re going to give me your source.”
This began because Doemel tells FOX 11 he wanted to know why Oshkosh North assistant principal Hans Nelson hadn’t been seen in the building for weeks.
“As a journalist, I naturally began asking questions, like where is this guy?”
Doemel says Nelson’s office had also been cleared out.
He reached out to the people who might know what happened – those he knew in the district.
“I had a source on background as saying that the assistant principal was placed on leave, following an incident where he decided to lock all the bathrooms in the school, except for two.”
Doemel wrote an article for the school’s paper, the North Star, last month. He says it was online for less than 20 minutes before being taken down by the school principal.
Oshkosh superintendent Doctor Vickie Cartwright tells FOX 11 the article breached Nelson’s privacy and the district’s policy.
“Anytime that you’re dealing with any types of things that would infringe upon the rights of others, as a public employee, I do have to implement anything and put in protections for those individuals.”
Following the removal of the article, Doemel then submitted an open records request for more information.
He says the district is trying to require him to reveal his source.
“Reporters’ notes are privileged information if they’re intended to be used in news. As a person who isn’t an employee of the district, I didn’t feel that my own personal notes, relating to the story had any relevance.”
Cartwright disputes that claim.
She says the district hasn’t provided the documents, because the $138 records request hasn’t been paid for.
“Brock, I do want to make it very clear, we have every intention of processing your request, the only element that is missing, at this point in time, is the financial commitment for the request.”
Doemel insists a letter to him from the district makes it clear his request won’t be fulfilled without his notes.
Doemel read a part of that letter, written by the superintendent, at a school board listening session.
“We remind you of the necessity to supply to the District any records you have related to the newspaper and the recent article printed by the North Star so that the district can be fully responsive to your request.”
According to Doemel, the student-run newspaper is now facing threats from the school district, including disciplinary action against the newspaper advisor.
He says the district also advised him that any future news stories would be subjected to a prior review process.
“I would anticipate that there will be some further discussion, just taking a look at it a little bit closer, as well,” said Cartwright.
In addition, Doemel claims none of his articles have been published, since this incident.
