District sued over axing of student paper after LGBTQ issue

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A former high school journalist and the Nebraska High School Press Association filed a lawsuit Friday, claiming that a school district’s shutdown of the school newspaper after it published an LGBTQ-focused edition was unconstitutional. The federal lawsuit names Grand Island Northwest Public Schools and the district’s superintendent. The lawsuit claims the district violated the First Amendment when it ordered closure of the Viking Saga newspaper at Grand Island Northwest High School. The closure was days after printing of the June edition, which included an article on the origins of Pride Month and the history of homophobia. It also included an editorial opposing a Florida law that bans some lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity.