I was in middle school, I believe the seventh grade, when I learned about the human reproductive system in what was then called health education class. Of course, part of that education included learning about the penis and the vagina. Well, it turns out that thirty years later, here in the 21st century, a high school student can be suspended for using the word at a school sponsored "open min" event.
At John Jay High School, in Cross River, NY, three female high school students received in-school suspensions for quoting excerpts of "The Vagina Monologues" as part of a performance.
CROSS RIVER - Saying the word "vagina" during a reading at a John Jay High School open mic session has resulted in suspension for three female students and has sparked a debate about censorship throughout the community.
School administrators had warned the girls it would be inappropriate to say the word while reading a selection from Eve Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues," but the students were willing to suffer the consequences.
Now Ensler, a playwright and feminist who grew up in Scarsdale, has offered to visit the Katonah-Lewisboro school district to discuss the matter.
Link
School administrators claim that the students agreed not to use the word beforehand, and, are claiming that that is the reason for the suspension.
Apparently, fellow students, as well as many in the community, are outraged and are organizing to fight this censorship.
The administrators' decision to suspend the girls has caused an uproar within the school, with students making T-shirts and posters to protest the punishment. A group opposed to the suspension has been created on Facebook.com, a popular Internet networking site, and had attracted more than 350 members yesterday.
The move has prompted parents to write to the Board of Education and circulate e-mails calling the suspension a "blatant attempt at censorship."
I'm sorry this is kind of short, but I've got to run out for a job interview. Wish me luck :)