Created: 3/31/2006 6:29:02 PM 
By Kyle Meenan First Coast News
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Episcopal High School pulled its April Fool's edition of the student paper after a noose on the cover was deemed improper.
"I'm amazed. Given the culture. Given the values of this school for that to be printed within the institution is inexcusable," said Dr. Louis Venson, a parent of an Episcopal student.
The cover depicts two white students with tattoos smoking cigarettes -- an obvious parody of the school's straight-laced reputation, but while the trees on the Episcopal campus are laced with Spanish moss hanging from their branches -- its the noose hanging from the tree on the paper's cover that has upset so many.
Several African-American students and parents viewed the noose as being racially motivated.
"It could be just a joke on the part of some kids. I don't know," said Dr. Venson.
"Somebody published this and somebody had to approve it at the official faculty level. That's the disturbing part."
School officials confirm that a faculty member approved the cover after the student publishers approved its design, but administration reacted moments after the paper was put out on campus for distribution.
Officials quickly tried to remove all the issues after they were put out, and though they declined an on-camera interview, in a prepared statement, Episcopal says the cover:
"contrasts sharply and directly with our institution's mission and the ideals we teach and try to put into practice."
"I feel like it should have never happened in the first place. It shouldn't have even been published," said one Episcopal Mom who didn't want to be identified.
She told First Coast News that her son claimed early on in this academic year he and other African-American students were told they could not assemble or "hang-out" with more than one other African-American student at any given time. It was also claimed that a racial slur was written on a hallway near the courtyard.
School officials denied both allegations, and say they will meet Saturday morning to continue plans for dealing with the students responsible for creating the page --and the faculty which allowed it to go to press.
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