Editor’s note: The information in this article regarding the lawsuit is not comprehensive; a more detailed report can be found in an earlier story by The Talon.

Mountain View High School senior Myesha Phukan and junior Renuka Mungee never expected to receive a national award for an article they published nearly two years ago.

But on Saturday, November 9, that’s exactly what happened: Myesha, Renuka, and former Oracle staff Hayes Duenow ‘23 and Hanna Olson ‘24 were announced as the winners of the 2024 Courage in Student Journalism Award by the Student Press Law Center (SPLC).

Beyond the award itself, they were grateful for the experiences along the way.

“We’re really honored,” Myesha said. “It feels like everything we did wasn’t for nothing or swept under the rug.”

Behind the Courage Award

The four students received the award for their actions against the censorship of their in-depth article print issue regarding student experiences with sexual assault. Allegedly, MVHS Principal Kip Glazer censored the article’s content throughout its writing and publishing. Additionally, Glazer modified MVHS’s journalism program, removing its Introduction to Journalism course and replacing former Oracle adviser Carla Gomez with current Oracle adviser Pancho Morris. The Oracle had to adapt in many ways. 

“At first it was pretty chaotic, but by the middle of last year, we settled into a routine and the students and myself were able to advocate for the program,” Morris said. “There was fear, but we had plenty of support from past advisers, and we persevered and kept communication open between admin and the students.”

In February 2024, Hayes, Hanna, and Gomez filed an ongoing lawsuit against Glazer and the Mountain View-Los Altos School District. Though Myesha and Renuka contributed to the article, they declined to join as plaintiffs. 

Despite this, both remained supportive of their peers, with Myesha now serving as The Oracle co-Editor-in-Chief and Renuka as its co-Print-In-Depth Editor. 

“It’s been a really lengthy process, but it’s a symbol of The Oracle’s resilience,” Myesha said. “We had to undergo drastic changes to our program, and it’s a testament to how well we’ve been able to adapt to that while upholding the values of scholastic journalism.”

Morris added that nothing from the lawsuit has impacted the daily operations of The Oracle, nor does its staff often discuss the issue — however, students continue advocating for the freedom of the press outside the classroom.

“All we did last year was a single article to clarify that The Oracle itself didn’t sue the school,” Morris said. “But that didn’t mean we never talked about censorship in class. In fact, Hanna, Myesha, and Renuka were very involved in advocacy for student press rights, and we went to events where they were interviewed about and presented their experiences.”

Such events included the 2024 Spring National High School Journalism Convention and the Journalism Education Association (JEA) Northern California Media Day.

“At the one in spring, we had to bring more chairs in for all the people that wanted to listen,” Myesha said. “When the censorship happened, Renuka and I both felt like we couldn’t really speak on it that much because of pressure from administration and former Oracle staff. On the national stage, we could finally share the full story of what happened and advocate for better student press protections, both in California and throughout the country.”

Winning the award

Early this fall, Morris nominated Myesha and Renuka for the Courage Award — Hayes and Hanna’s names were added after The Oracle was notified of winning. 

“There are students who face censorship every day and I’m sure a lot of them applied for this award,” Morris said. “Winning it came out of nowhere. It was very exciting, but then it was right back to work, like another day in the office.”

Morris and The Oracle were privately notified on Friday, November 8 by the SPLC, and the award was officially announced at the JEA Fall National Convention in Philadelphia, Pa. the next day. 

“In taking on their principal and school district, the student journalists from The Oracle are standing up and speaking out for every student who has ever felt intimidated or forced to censor their work because administrators worried that their courageous reporting might reflect poorly on the school,” SPLC Executive Director Gary Green said in a November 24 press release.

Morris reflected that his and Oracle staff’s experiences gained on the road to the award were more valuable than the award itself.

“At JEANC, we were approached by an adviser from another paper who said, ‘This same thing happened to us, but after hearing you speak, we won’t be caught off guard next time,’” Morris said. “I was already incredibly proud of my students before, I waste no time saying that whenever I can.”

Similarly, Myesha and Renuka recognize the lessons they learned from publishing the initial in-depth, supporting a lawsuit, and telling the nation about their experiences.

“The biggest thing we’ve learned is to write the article no matter what consequences you might experience,” Renuka said. “We want to tell all the student journalists out there that everybody has your back — the SPLC and journalists all across the country — no matter what other people tell you. Write that article, do your due process, take those interviews, and everything else will be resolved.”