Hunting trophies in better spot

A high school with almost 3,000 students has plenty of distractions without adding a divisive controversy over the principal covering his office walls with big game trophies.

So it was a wise move for Summerville High School principal Buddy Chapel to remove from his office the heads of kudu and gemsbok, eland and antelope, boar and wildebeest, and the stalking stuffed lioness, last weekend.

His decision also eliminates the possibility that the Dorchester County School District might have been forced to intervene as a would-be arbiter of good taste in office decor.

A district spokeswoman said some parents didn't like the display but didn't want to take sides in the debate.

Mr. Chapel said in a January interview with The Post and Courier that he liked students and parents to see the trophies "and get a feel for who I am."

As conversation pieces, the trophies might have helped some people feel more at ease in Mr. Chapel's office. There was certainly something to comment on.

And to be sure, students who went to Mr. Chapel's office before he removed the trophies had the chance to learn something about animals they wouldn't find in the Lowcountry.

But in removing the trophies, Mr. Chapel has taught an important lesson about being considerate of the sensitivities of others.