University of Virginia Library

Editor Defends Alleged Obscenities

By Fred Heblich
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The Editor-in-Chief of the "Flat Hat,"
the student newspaper at the College of
William and Mary, won the first round
against charges that he approved the use
of obscenities in the February 12 issue of
the newspaper.

In a Tuesday meeting the Publications
Committee of the Board of Student
Affairs, a student-faculty group, urged
that no action be taken against editor
Thomas J. McDonald because of
appearance of alleged obscenities. Mr.
McDonald could have been removed from
school.

The committee's recommendation will
be reviewed by the entire Board of Student
Affairs, and will be submitted for final review
by W&M president Davis Y. Paschall.

The complaint against Mr. McDonald and
the "Flat Hat" was filed by dean of the w
school, an associate business professor and the
college's executive vice president.

The charges stemmed from the appearance
of allegedly obscene words in a front-page news
story and an editorial cartoon in the February
12 issue of the "Flat Hat." Both the story and
the cartoon related to a recent meeting of the
W&M Student Association, the student
government organization.

The news story quoted Student Association
President, Winnefred Legerton as saying, "I'm
terribly upset by all the bullshit that has gone
on at this meeting." The word "bullshit" also
appeared in the headline that accompanied the
story.

Further on in the story it was reported that
the Student Association voted to reject an
officially proposed resolution which read
"Fuck the pigs." The editorial cartoon which
was also related to the student meeting carried
the phrase "no shit."

In its recommendation that no action be
taken against the editor, the Publications
Committee said its understanding of "What
constitutes obscenity or expressions not in
good taste" was incomplete.

Mr. McDonald said that there was no
indication that W&M students were offered by
the language printed in the "Flat Hat,"
although "the students are upset by the
attempts being made to punish us." As a result
two members of the paper's business staff quit,
and the paper has suffered a loss in advertising.

"As far as I am concerned," said the editor,
"the language was necessary for fair and
accurate reporting. I cannot ask my staff to
sacrifice journalistic accuracy and freedom of
speech. Our decision was and is defensible."

Besides stating that no portion of the
February 12 issue "is obscene or not in good
taste," the Publications Committee also said
that it was "a dangerous practice to challenge
an editor's prerogative to exercise his own
discretion in deciding what is essential to
accurate reporting."