BOZ IS BACK!

This is absolutely fantastic news! Congratulations to Boz and the staff of the Ocean County College Viking News!

OCC, journalism students reach settlement in First Amendment case
Fired faculty adviser also gets job back permanently

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 06/15/07
BY KIRK MOORE
TOMS RIVER BUREAU

TOMS RIVER — A legal settlement announced late Thursday will create a new student media advisory board at Ocean County College and permanently reinstate professor Karen Bosley as faculty adviser to the Viking News, the campus' award-winning student newspaper whose editors charged administration officials violated their First Amendment rights.

The settlement of the case that student journalists brought against OCC President Jon H. Larson and his administration includes a guarantee that "Ocean County College supports the free speech rights of students and employees and a student press free from prior review, prior restraint, or censorship as well as recognizes all student media as limited public forums."

"Therefore, the exercise of these rights or freedoms cannot be the subject directly or indirectly of any sanction or dismissal from Ocean County College," states a section of the settlement papers.

Bosley, reached late Thursday night, said, "I'm delighted to be restored as adviser, and I'm delighted with the First Amendment statement (made by this case). I'm extremely proud of my students for fighting this case."

Bosley, who spoke to the National Press Club in Washington Thursday night about the case, said that journalists there were overwhelmingly in favor of the battle the students had fought, and said she was grateful to them and the Student Press Law Center for its support.

Bosley, who spoke to the National Press Club in Washington Thursday night about the case, said that journalists there were overwhelmingly in favor of the battle the students had fought, and said she was grateful to them and the Student Press Law Center for its support.

The case drew national attention, after Viking News editors complained the administration was trying to coerce them after negative stories ran in the paper. Bosley and her supporters said her adviser's job was taken as payback for that dispute, a charge the college denied.

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