A Belleview Elementary School parent said a paid ad that appeared in her daughter’s yearbook was censored.
Earlier in the year, Carole Altman had written, “So proud of you … for achieving ‘fantastic’ grades and participating in so many wonderful after school activities and surviving so many of the Belleview teachers’ ‘liberal’ teachings. You are what you believe you can be. Aim high always … Love Mom and Dad.”
On Tuesday, when yearbooks were distributed, Altman noticed a portion of the message was eliminated. The part deleted read: “and surviving so many of the Belleview teachers’ ‘liberal’ teachings.”
Altman said she was upset that none of the parent volunteers who compile the yearbook notified her of the change.
“Who took it upon themselves to decide to take it out, and why did they not have the courage to tell me in advance?” Altman asked, standing outside the Greenwood Village school.
Yearbook committee volunteers said they found the message inappropriate for a space that was intended to congratulate the children.
“The first thing out of my mouth was, ‘This is inappropriate,”‘ said Blair Mellon, one of the volunteers who made the decision to omit the comment, which she and others said was political.
Altman said she meant liberal in a sense of leniency, not a political slant.
This was the first year “Congrats Ads” from parents were printed, and there were no guidelines beyond limiting the message to 125 characters. Only Altman’s ad was changed, according to school officials.
The school’s principal, Molly Drvenkar, and others have apologized for not contacting Altman before the amended message ran.
Altman has been reimbursed for the ad, $5, and the yearbook, about $18.
Staff writer Sara Crocker can be reached at 303-954-1661 or scrocker@denverpost.com.
