(Credit: TheEastCarolinian.com)

Paul Isom claims East Carolina University fired him from his position as student media director because the student newspaper East Carolinian “published a controversial front-page photo of a streaker” in November with his OK, Student Press Law Center reported.  Isom said he was told his firing was because the school “wanted to move in a different direction.”  According to the East Carolinian’s report, Isom said the university was “very careful not to give a specific reason” for his firing.

According to Student Press Law Center, the school’s student affairs vice chancellor Virginia Hardy suggested the photo was inappropriate after its Nov. 8 publication.

Student Press Law Center’s executive director Frank LoMonte called the firing “retaliation for an editorial judgment made by the students that was completely within the students’ authority to make.”

Read more about the case here.

The East Carolinian also wrote about the firing here.

UPDATE: 1/11/2012 8:55 AM EST: Fixed timestamp. Story originally published 1/10/2012 at 12:15 PM EST.