Student papers stolen at college in Maryland
Editor suspects article naming students detained in drug investigation prompted theft
February 11, 2008
MARYLAND — About 1,000 of the 1,300 copies of Washington
College's weekly student paper, The Elm, were stolen Friday morning.
Although staffers and school officials do not yet know who stole the
papers,
Elm Editor in Chief Katherine Honold said she suspects the papers
were stolen because of an article that ran in Friday's issue. The article named
several Washington College students detained by police during a November drug
investigation.
The Elm did publish the article
online.
Candy Tyrell, an officer with the school's Department of Public Safety,
spoke to a student who might have seen someone take the papers, but the witness
could not give a basic physical description.
"We continue to look for them and ask around," Tyrell said.
The papers were stolen from the school's Casey Academic Center between 8:30
and 11:30 a.m., where they usually are picked up for delivery by one of The
Elm's distribution managers, Honold said.
Honold estimates the stolen papers were worth more than $1,600, based on
staff salaries and production costs.
The Elm will run an article in this Friday's issue about the theft.
Maryland in 1994 passed the first
law specifically criminalizing the theft
of free newspapers. The misdemeanor offense carries a possible fine of up to
$500 and a possible jail sentence of up to 60 days.
By Emilie Yam, SPLC staff writer
© 2008 Student Press Law Center
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