A New Jersey school district has suspended a teacher after yearbook photos of two high school students were edited to remove Trump logos and slogans from their clothing.
According to NBC Philadelphia, Wall Township School Superintendent Cheryl Dyer confirmed that the yearbook’s adviser was suspended Monday pending an investigation.
It is still unclear as to who edited the photos and why.
CNN reports that one student at Walt Township High School, Grant Berardo, noticed that his “Trump: Make America Great Again” shirt had been edited to look like a plain T-shirt.
“He was disappointed. This was the first election he has been interested in,” Grant’s father, Joseph Berardo, said, according to the network.
The school was put on blast and accused of censorship.
According to the Berardos, before picture day last fall, Berardo and his wife spoke to their son about wearing the shirt and agreed that it was fine. When they got the photo proofs in November, the Trump logo was there, and they approved its use for the yearbook. However, when the yearbooks were released this spring, the very obvious logo was gone.
“I want the yearbooks to be reissued and I want a letter from the administration explaining why they are reissuing the yearbook,” Joseph Berardo said.
And Grant Berardo wasn’t the only one who had his Trump gear edited. A similar but smaller logo ended up missing from junior Wyatt Dobrovich-Fago’s vest. Moreover, his sister Montana, who is the freshman class president, had quoted Trump for the yearbook, and that was also edited out.
Montana Dobrovich-Fago had submitted the Trump quote, “I like thinking big. If you’re going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big,” to appear under her photo. Instead, there was nothing.
“I want to know who thought it was OK to do this,” Janet Dobrovich-Fago, the siblings’ mother, said. “I want the school to seek disciplinary action and to be held accountable.”
Dyer sent a letter to parents Friday letting them know that she was looking into the issue.
“There is nothing in our student dress code that would prevent a student from expressing his or her political views and support for a candidate for political office via appropriate clothing. Rather, I applaud students for becoming involved in politics and for participation in our democratic society,” she wrote. “The high school administration was not aware of and does not condone any censorship of political views on the part of our students. This includes statements that they might make or clothing with references to candidates for public office that they might wear.”
Read more at CNN and NBC Philadelphia.