When readers of the Puyallup Emerald Ridge High School student newspaper saw a story on oral sex plastered across a four-page spread last February, many viewed the story as a mature slant on a difficult and often taboo subject. Others saw it as literary pornography, shameless finger pointing purely for shock value.

The parents of students quoted in the article are now filing litigation against the Puyallup School District. The families, who claim that the students were quoted improperly and without their permission, are seeking $800,000 to $1.5 million in damages due to emotional distress.

The paper, known as the Jagwire, explored the issue of oral sex in five sections: its presence at Emerald Ridge; its national prevalence in media and pop culture; consequences such as sexually transmitted diseases; the psychological stigma of oral sex; and opposing opinions on the controversial topic. In the article, several students were quoted about their experiences with and opinions of oral sex.

“I was 15,” reads one of the quotations attributed to a student. “I was horny. It wasn’t really a relationship. I had known the guy for a week.” The lawsuit claims that the students who were quoted in the article were subjected to harassment and derogatory treatment.

Lauren Smith, who graduated last year, was an editor on the Jagwire. “When the issue first came out, everyone was like ‘Oh my god,’” she says. “It had a provocative design on the cover, which got everybody excited. But by the end of Friday, students didn’t seem to care anymore.”

If the kids didn’t care, some of the adults certainly did. In the days following the issue’s release, the school was swamped with calls and complaints. Some parents walked around the local neighborhoods, petitioning door-to-door for action be taken against the school. Last spring, tort claims were filed, leading to the lawsuit which has emerged in recent weeks.

The controversy resulted in an amendment to the Puyallup School District’s treatment of school newspapers. District policy 20-R says that all content appearing in school papers must now be approved by the principal. This is a drastic change to the relatively loose leash the Jagwire was given last year. “The paper was student run, so final decisions were up to the editors,” Smith says. “I think the writers did an excellent job.” Smith says that subjects were asked if they wished to be anonymous during their interviews, and their answers were verified again prior to publication.

A senior editor says that all Jagwire staff have been advised against talking to any media. Another says she can’t speak with me on the phone or have any other sort of interaction without speaking to her attorney. Neither Puyallup School District officials nor the Emerald Ridge Principal replied to requests for comment. For the student writers who just want to produce quality journalism without censorship or excessive controversy, this is a difficult time.