Royse City High School officials banned the airing of a student-produced public-service announcement because it features two girls almost kissing.

The conflict between the student producer and school officials began after a high school journalism and media contest last week in California.

Judges there asked seniors Mackenzie Maxwell and Keri Zimlich to produce a 30-second public-service announcement about honesty.

The judges encouraged the contestants to be creative, unconventional and to take risks. So Mackenzie, who witnessed her mom's former struggles with being honest about her homosexuality, decided to film a segment about a teenage girl suffering through a similar battle.

"I thought this public-service announcement embodied all that I believed in," said Mackenzie, 17, who traveled to Anaheim for the contest last week with 10 other Royse City broadcast students. Royse City is a town of a few thousand people about 10 miles east of Rockwall.

In the video, a teenage girl stands between two paths. One is labeled "lies," and the other is labeled "truth." After choosing the "lies" path, the girl is shown unhappy and uncomfortable with a male companion.

But when she chooses the other avenue, the music is upbeat, and the girl is relaxed and content with her female partner. When the partners sit on a bench with their arms around each other, they lean in and almost kiss.

"I think there is like 1.28 seconds where it suggests they are going to kiss," she said.

And that split-second clip is what caused principal Tony Gauntt to ban the video from the Royse City High School television network, RCTV, according to school officials.

"There was an inappropriate clip in it, and they told her if she took that piece of the PSA out, they would run it," said Jo Nell Mellody, community relations director for the district.

Mackenzie said she wouldn't comply.

"I don't think I have to change the video, because I don't think anything is offensive about it," she said. "I think it's a quality piece of work, and I don't think that the administration should be able to stop a quality piece of work to be aired – especially if there isn't anything bad about it."

Mackenzie said she knew the video could be controversial. But it was meant to be thought-provoking, not lewd, she said.

"I think it promotes truth, honesty and being honest with yourself," she said. "I think if you're homosexual, you should be honest with yourself."

Steve Vaughn, broadcasting class adviser, said the school has the right to censor anything that students produce, and he pointed out that Mackenzie's video did not win any awards at the California contest.

"There is no story in the PSA," he said. "It's a 30-second contest, and they didn't place in any event."

Asked if a video featuring a heterosexual couple almost kissing would have been approved, Mrs. Mellody said: "I don't know. That's not my call."