Staff Report

Kernel opinions editor Chad Reese resigned yesterday after the newspaper declined to publish a column he wrote defending the printing of Friday’s editorial cartoon.

“My official position is that I don’t particularly agree with the cartoon but it wasn’t my job as opinions editor to agree with everything published,” Reese said.

Reese’s column, written over the weekend, argued that the publication of the cartoon was justified because it sparked a conversation about race relations. He told Editor in Chief Keith Smiley that he would resign if the column didn’t run in today’s paper.

“That opinion and that ultimatum were unacceptable for an editor at the Kernel, so I accepted his resignation,” Smiley said.

Reese said that while he respected the Kernel’s decision not to run his editorial column, he thinks “it was the wrong thing to do.”

“I’m upset because I love the job, but I think I did the right thing,” Reese said.

Linsen Li, assistant opinions editor, will replace Reese as editor of the page.