Recent sexual assault allegations were not discussed at all during a morning PTSA meeting at Shawnee Mission East High School.
The incident was not on the agenda and Principal McKinney said he can't talk about items not on the agenda.
Instead, McKinney addressed another controversy involving a student-run, "underground" publication called The Eastonian.
Parents, faculty, and even students say it's gone too far.
The paper is made and distributed by students. It started out decades ago, as light-hearted satire about school life, or poking fun at a teacher. Students would pass it around school and leave copies in the bathrooms.
In the last several years, administration and parents say it's become disgusting and hateful. It talks graphically about sex, drugs, partying, calling out students by name, and even trash talking their families.
McKinney said last spring's publication was the worst it's ever been.
"Many times it is reprehensible and vile and it's not who we are," parent and PTSA member Britton Norden said.
Students have first amendment rights, but the publication violates district policies, giving the school the right to punish, even though it's created off campus.
"Anytime you have something that's a violation of board policy and involves bullying, sexual harassment, anything disruptive to school environment, it's imperative the school does something about it," McKinney said.
"My daughter has come home saying how much she appreciates the principal and that they're pulling this out of the shadows and the fact they're involving the community," parent Victoria Kanaley said. "She brought a digital copy to me that she had not forwarded, she shared it with me and erased it so that there was awareness of what was going on and how hateful this was."
The school is working to find out who is responsible, but it's hard because the paper is now distributed online and through group texts.
Anyone who is associated with the Eastonian will be suspended five days, can't participate in any activities, and can't walk on graduation day.
McKinney and the large group of parents at the meeting said they just want it to end for good and put it behind them.
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Sarah Plake can be reached at Sarah.Plake@KSHB.com
