Were cheerleaders unfairly punished for nude photos?
Parents of two high school cheerleaders say their daughters were singled out for sending X-rated cell phone photos but other students were not punished for receiving them. The families are suing the Northshore School District in the Seattle area.
There are two photos in question, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported. One of them had been sent by a girl to her then-boyfriend’s cell phone in 2005. Another cheerleader was snapped in the raw by a friend in June. Both photos were circulated around the school, particularly among football players.
In August, Bothell High School officials received a copy of both photos and suspended the teens from the cheerleading squad. One was suspended for 30 days; the other for the entire school year. The girls are not being publicly identified because they are minors.
In the lawsuits, the girls’ parents allege that school administrators needlessly shared the photos with other school staff members and failed to promptly make the reports to police. They also said the girls’ due process rights were violated. “There should have been some punishment meted out to those who were in possession of the photos,” the families’ attorney, Matthew King, told the Post-Intelligencer. “It seems like the girls are getting the brunt of it.”
A spokeswoman for the school system said administrators acted appropriately.
“Sexting,” or taking nude photos with a cell phone and then sending them, has become a popular trend among teenagers. In a few cases, police have charged kids with possession and distribution of child pornography. Read previous Minor Troubles posting on sexting here.
This story made http://detentionslip.org ! Check it out for all the crazy headlines from our schools.
Boy have times changed! Where were these when I was in school?
On the lighter side: what were the girls thinking? Did they think that they’re nude pictures wouldn’t end up being passed around the locker room? Must’ve been blondes! Wait until the nudes make the internet, and you know that somebody who had it sent to them is going to do it… end up being a chain letter..
Chuck
Although these acts were horendous, it doesn’t grant the school the ability to kick these girls from their squad. Pressuring them away from extracuricular activities will only fuel their interest in rebelling. The parents need to take a stand, but have every right to sue the school for the actions they took. Its a family responsibility.