Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
Plant High School's paper was temporarily barred from distribution for promoting condom availability.
By MELANIE AVE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 12, 2002
TAMPA -- A column in the Plant High School newspaper promoting the availability of condoms created a stir on campus, and sent administrators scurrying to explain why they briefly considered censoring the publication.
Christina Hernandez, features' editor of the Pep O' Plant, wrote a column supporting condom availability at the prom in the 24-page prom edition, which was set to be distributed to students last Friday -- one week before the March 16 dance.
"I would rather my peers be safe," said 18-year-old senior. "I wish everyone would stay abstinent. I wish there were no diseases or unwanted pregnancies.
"But it's a reality, teenagers have sex."
School officials didn't share Hernandez's belief.
"The problem was, it was inconsistent with the curriculum we teach," said district spokesman Mark Hart. "We teach abstinence."
Several students and parents said they support the open discussion of safe sex, even if they disagree with condom distribution among teens.
Newspaper adviser, David Webb, and principal Eric Bergholm halted the distribution of 2,500 copies of the Pep O' Plant after seeing Hernandez's column, titled "Face It; Sex Happens" and an accompanying survey, "Do you think condoms should be distributed at prom?"
They questioned Hernandez's column, which had previously been approved by Webb, and the survey of four students and the school's security officer. All the students in the survey said condoms should be made available, while the officer said they should not.
Bergholm said the survey had not been approved prior to publication.
"I'd rather see a student newspaper address issues more appropriate to the school and the curriculum instead of items that are controversial," he said.
The school considered reprinting several pages of the monthly publication. But in the end, it was distributed Monday with Hernandez's column intact.
Hart said he okayed the distribution of the newspaper after reading the two questionable articles and making sure the views expressed in them were not represented as the position of the school or the district.
But Hart said the principal had every right to halt the paper's distribution.
"A principal can make an editorial decision on a student newspaper," he said. "It is not protected free speech."
The Plant incident marks the second year in a row that a condom controversy has arisen during prom season in Hillsborough County.
Last year, Blake High School senior Lissette Stanley was barred from giving a commencement address after she put condoms in prom gift bags.
Bergholm refused to discuss whether any Plant students will be disciplined.
Hernandez, a former member of the Times X-Team of student writers, said she was merely raising awareness about an important issue.
She wrote in her article: "I completely acknowledge that adults simply want to protect us. They are older and with age does indeed come wisdom. However, if adults are so concerned about the sexual well-being of the adolescents of America, they need to advocate safe sex."
Fellow newspaper staffer April Astor said she stands behind her classmate.
"The point is, it was something that needed to be said," the 17-year-old said. "People our age do have sex and it's a high-risk activity."
Some parents said the incident was much ado about nothing.
"Get with the times," said Suzanne Falk, whose son is news editor of Pep O' Plant. "If people think kids are not having sex, their heads are in the ground. I always think talking about issues makes good sense."
Kathy Williams, who has two sons at Plant, said she opposes condom distribution, but had no problem with the most recent edition of the student newspaper.
"I felt it was opinion," she said. "I don't condemn the article. But if it was something the school was promoting, I would have a problem with it."
Linda Hernandez said she supports her daughter, and wonders why the school would thwart a safe sex discussion given the problem with the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
"Basically, the school wants to be too politically correct," Hernandez said.
Christina Hernandez said she was thrilled to see the newspaper distributed.
She maintains that condoms should be available at the prom so those that want them, can have access to them.
As for her?
"I am going to the prom," said Hernandez, who wants to become a sports broadcaster someday. "I will not have sex after the prom."
-- Melanie Ave can be reached at (813) 226-3400 or melanie@sptimes.com.