For most teenagers, the four years of high school are among their most important. Reaching this point is kind of a rite of passage. Teens begin to form lasting friendships, many of them start to date, and it’s during this time they finally gain a little understanding of who they are and what they want to be as an adult.
But one high school did something that left both parents and kids shocked, embarrassed, and angry.
Photo day
Going to high school is when so many amazing memories are created. There are football games, societies and clubs, Prom, and more. Teenagers look forward to all of this. They also look forward to having their photos taken for the school yearbook.
Waiting patiently
Well, this year, teenagers who attended the Bartram Trail High School in St. John’s Country, which includes Jacksonville, Florida, were super excited to see their yearbook photos. They patiently waited and then finally, they arrived. That’s when they got the shock of their young lives.
Going too far
Immediately, girls noticed that their photos had been digitally altered. In all, the school made changes to the clothes of 80 young girls. Two of those, Riley O’Keefe and Zoe Iannone, stated that instead of posting the images as they were taken, the school chose to cover up what it thought was “too much skin.”
Feeling mortified
Just imagine being a teenager whose photo was changed to something entirely different. Most of these girls were mortified. To them, this was as embarrassing as it could get but making matters worse, none of the boy’s photos were altered, even those showing them in speedo swimsuits.
No alterations needed
But here’s the deal, the girls involved didn’t need their photos changed. For instance, one young lady was wearing a modest top that showed only a slight amount of cleavage. Well, guess what, that’s part of the female body and her clothing wasn’t out of line whatsoever.
Their reactions
As Riley O’Keefe explained, “I got very upset and I was very uncomfortable that that’s how they were looking at our photos.” But even more upsetting was the fact that the school administration didn’t ask permission or even advise the students’ parents that they were going to make alterations. Only after the yearbook came out did they tell them what they did was considered “modesty editing.”
A message from the school
After learning that the teenage girls and their parents were upset, the school finally released a message. “All images in ads and all individual student pictures must be consistent with the St. John’s County School District Student Code of Conduct or may be digitally adjusted.” It would’ve been nice if they’d said that beforehand.
Double standard
Both Riley and Zoe were irritated that they’d worn the same clothes to school before and at no time did a faculty member say anything to them. Even on picture day, they were never approached about violating the school’s dress code. Riley also stated that she had carefully selected her outfit because she knew without a doubt that it was a “safe choice.”
Unhappy parents
Riley’s mom couldn’t hold back how she felt by saying, “Immediately, my blood started to boil. They felt like they’d done something wrong. It felt like their bodies were being shamed and they were embarrassed.”
A controversial situation
Another mom stressed her frustration not only with the “modesty editing” but overall, the poor quality of the photos. First, she had no idea this was going to happen. Second, looking at her daughter’s yearbook photo, she noticed the editor made it appear as though she had a “square block on her chest.”
So, did this high school go too far? Many parents and students believe they did. While these 80 teenage girls have to walk around campus embarrassed by what happened, the only solution offered by high school was to give those families full refunds.
You can learn more about this controversial issue by clicking on the video below.
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