FARGO – A high school senior whose yearbook photo was rejected because it showed him with a rifle will get the picture in the yearbook after all – with one change.
The new picture is the same as the old one, except it was digitally manipulated to
remove the gun and add a bald eagle.
Charlie Renville, whose son Joshua attends Fargo North High School, said even the eagle photo was nearly quashed by the people who run the yearbook.
Joshua Renville submitted the altered photo after administrators told him the yearbook could not publish a picture of him holding an AR-15 rifle.
Charlie Renville said his son uses the gun to shoot coyotes. He believes it’s ridiculous that the school district rejected the gun photo.
Administrators
rejected the original photo
on the grounds it violated school policies.
Fargo North Principal Andy Dahlen confirmed that senior Renville submitted a new yearbook photo, and it was accepted by the school district, WDAY-TV reported Monday.
“We have school officials including (the superintendent) who are promoting their political agenda,” he said. “They should be remaining neutral.”
“The original picture, there was nothing legally wrong with that picture,” he added. “You can say it’s in poor taste … but that’s your personal opinion.”
