Amy Sorrell figured the articles on teen pregnancy, teen motherhood and sexually transmitted diseases would be controversial, so she submitted them to her principal before publishing.
   
But the Woodlan Junior-Senior High School teacher didn't preapprove a student column calling for tolerance toward gays and lesbians that appeared in the same edition of the school paper.

Little did she know, that piece would make state and national news -- and get her suspended from her job this month.

"If we can talk about herpes and gonorrhea on one page, we should be able to talk about tolerance on the next page," says Sorrell, who doesn't believe she did anything wrong.

The controversy in this northeast Indiana town has found its way to national media outlets and has raised objections and concern from national journalism groups.

The case has also triggered debate over how much freedom student publications should have and how much editorial control principals should wield.

 The Washington state House of Representatives early Tuesday morning passed a comprehensive bill guaranteeing press rights for the state’s high school and college students.

House Bill 1307, passed by a 58-37 vote after a contentious debate, moves on to the Senate.

The Senate is expected to take action on the bill immediately. It will first be referred to a policy committee, most likely the Senate Judiciary Committee. A public hearing will be scheduled soon.

“Now, even more work begins,” said Vincent DeMiero, a supporter of the bill and student publications adviser at Mountainlake (Wash.) Terrace High School.

The bill would be the first to protect both high school and college students from prior review and administrative censorship under the same statute.