The Mentor Exempted Village Board of Education held a first reading and extended discussion of proposed policy 5722, which covers school-sponsored publications and productions, including a newly created journalism course and the extracurricular student paper "Cardinal Nation." No vote was required or taken because the policy is at first reading.

Public comment and trustees raised concerns about the policy’s treatment of student expression, the role of social media, and how the district will balance student free expression with educational oversight. John Sanford spoke during the agenda public-comment period opposed to the draft policy as written, saying it “places too much power in the administration to censor and control student expression” and urging the board to protect opportunities for students to learn by expressing themselves.

Board members discussed several interlocking issues: how Cardinal Nation’s content is hosted and shared (the administration said Cardinal Nation is published through a district content management system, not directly on social media), whether social accounts can be used to point readers to published articles, and the copyright restrictions that limit posting of some school productions (for example, theater rights versus choral or instrumental performances).

Trustees also debated whether the policy text should be concise and supported by more detailed administrative guidelines. Several members suggested that detailed procedures — including review timelines, roles for advisors and administrators, and parental-notification expectations — would be better placed in administrative guidelines and reviewed by legal counsel before adoption.

The board flagged several edits, requested that legal review clarify language about nonpublic forums and viewpoint neutrality, and asked staff to draft clearer administrative guidelines for the high school journalism course and Cardinal Nation’s extracurricular publication that preserve learning opportunities for students while providing a fair and transparent review process. Staff said they will return recommended edits and administrative guidance to the board in a future update.