ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, June 5, 1996 TAG: 9606050050
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: Associated Press
STATE SUPREME COURT justices will decide whether a high school newspaper can have access to student government election figures.
The former editor of the Centreville High School newspaper took his quest for access to student government election results to Virginia's highest court Tuesday.
Lucas Wall, 19, and the staff of the Centreville Sentinel were represented by his father, William F. Wall. The elder Wall portrayed Fairfax County public schools as hypocritical for saying they teach democratic ideals, then denying students access to vital information.
``To me, it's quite simple: It's about whether this state ... is serious about instilling democratic principles in our young people, or whether we're just going to pay lip service,'' he said.
Fairfax County school attorney Thomas J. Cawley said Circuit Judge Gerald B. Lee correctly ruled that election results are scholastic records, which are exempt from disclosure under the state Freedom of Information Act.
``There is this basic policy that personally identifiable information about students is held sacrosanct,'' Cawley said.
Cawley said school administrators release only the winners' names, not vote totals, to avoid embarrassing the losers and to encourage participation in future elections.
``There was no reason to gratuitously announce results,'' he said.
Justice A. Christian Compton asked Cawley why it's acceptable for schools to say how many points a student scores in a basketball game but not how many votes one gets in an election.
Cawley said athletic events are conducted in public, so it makes no sense to try to conceal individual scoring performances. He added that requiring disclosure of vote totals could set a precedent affecting other elections, ranging from club offices to prom queen.
But the newspaper's attorney said the issue is accountability and the integrity of the electoral process.
``The student body is entitled to analyze the results,'' he said. ``They should be able to see how students responded to the issues'' outlined in the candidates' platforms.
Lucas Wall, now a sophomore journalism major at the University of Missouri, said he is pursuing the case because he believes he has an obligation to the current Sentinel staff and scholastic journalists throughout the state.
``I feel strongly that student newspapers should have access to vote results so they can determine if it's appropriate to publish them along with their coverage and analysis of the elections,'' he said.
``There are still other students working on that newspaper who want access to that information. This case also will affect every high school in the commonwealth.''
A ruling is expected in a few weeks.
LENGTH: Medium: 59 linesby CNB