Press Pass NYC has named Principal Gregory Fucheck as Administrator of the Year, an honor recognizing his unwavering defense of student press freedom and editorial independence.

Mr. Fucheck shares the Administrator of the Year title with Beth Kierez, an assistant principal at Benjamin Cardozo High School in Queens. Both schools will receive a $500 award to support their journalism programs.

Nominated by journalism adviser Deborah Porterfield, Mr. Fucheck is credited with fostering a culture of true editorial independence since the launch of the Bronx River News in 2021.

“From the very beginning, Fucheck set the tone.” Ms. Porterfield wrote in her nomination letter. She recalled that at the paper’s launch, he urged the staff not to play it safe, telling her, “School newspapers should be controversial.”

That philosophy was put to the test when the paper published a video clip of a stabbing near the school. According to Ms. Porterfield, Mr. Fucheck never called her in to question the decision to run the story.

“To this day, I don’t know what he thought of the newspaper’s decision,” Ms. Porterfield wrote. “Which is how it should be.”

Under Mr. Fucheck’s administration, the paper has won 10 city journalism awards and earned coverage in national outlets. He also invited student journalists to sit in on  principals’ meetings regarding immigration enforcement and allowed the staff to break news regarding remote Fridays before official announcements.

Lara Bergen, founder and CEO of Press Pass NYC, said the award is intended to recognize administrators who protect the First Amendment.

“Behind every strong, thriving, high-impact student news program is an administrator who fully supports the news team’s work,” Ms. Bergen said.

Mr. Fucheck is retiring at the end of this school year. However, the Press Pass announcement noted that he has ensured the paper’s future by appointing a new adviser and cultivating an environment where the community feels comfortable speaking to student reporters.

The winners will be guests of honor at a Press Pass NYC event in June hosted by former Schools’ Chancellor Carmen Fariña.