By Leslie Olsen

(Indianapolis) - A Franklin Central High School journalism teacher has been suspended after he allowed his students to publish a sensitive story. Students are threatening a walkout in support of the teacher.

Students are calling it censorship. The school is claiming “insubordination.”

“It is a big story but I think the kids need to know what's going on,” said Mitchell Willsey, a sophomore.

The big story Willsey was glad to see in the Franklin Central Pilot Flashes was a story about a fellow classmate's arrest on murder charges. The story was written by a student editor and approved by teacher-advisor Chad Tuley.
 
After the paper was distributed to students last Friday, Tuley says the principal destroyed all remaining copies, then suspended him with pay.

“They're saying that it was insubordination,” said Tuley in a telephone interview Thursday. Tuley says his letter of suspension charges that he published the article when the principal told him not to. Tuley claims he was never told that. “The email only advised me to research it a bit and then there were no follow up conversations,” he said.

“The administration saw it as a very sensitive issue that probably shouldn't have been reported in the school newspaper,” said Scott Miley, Franklin Township spokesman.

Tuley doesn't believe he was insubordinate. He does believe the administration attempted to violate the first amendment rights of the student journalists. Tuley says he has been teaching about freedom of speech. “I think this is a real life example,” he said.

Dennis Cripe agrees. As executive director of the Indiana High School Press Association, he says his association is going to bat for the suspended teacher.

“I think if I were a faculty member, I'd worry about whether my area might be next if I'm deemed to be inappropriate in something that I've been teaching. Where does this kind of thing stop?” said Cripe.

News 8 was not allowed inside the school Thursday but several students we talked with say there's been a big show of student support for Tuley and the newspaper.

“Kids are just wearing T-shirts…saying…’Free Mr. Tuley,’" said Willsey.
 
Late Thursday afternoon, the school notified Tuley he could return on Monday to meet with the school administration and perhaps return to his classroom. Tuley wants an apology and guarantee this will not become part of his permanent record. He has hired a lawyer.