A high school has provoked controversy after editing the yearbook photos of its female students.
According to The New York Times, at least 80 teenage female pupils attending Bartram Trail High School in Florida had their graduation yearbook photographs edited to crop their chests and erase visible cleavage.
The school faced further scrutiny after it was revealed that no pictures of the male students - including one picture which showed a number of young men clad in Speedo swimming shorts - had been altered in any way.
Commenting on the scandal in a later statement made to The St. Augustine Record, school district spokeswoman Christina Langston stated that the edits in question had been made by a teacher who serves as the yearbook coordinator.
Langston stated:
"Bartram Trail High School’s previous procedure was to not include student pictures in the yearbook that they deemed in violation of the student code of conduct.
"The digital alterations were a solution to make sure all students were included in the yearbook."
Indeed, the terms and conditions for the yearbook on the school's official website specifically stipulate that:
"All images in ads and all individual student pictures must be consistent with the St. Johns County School District Student Code of Conduct or may be digitally adjusted."
Outraged parents and pupils alike are now demanding an apology from school officials.
For example, 15-year-old ninth-grader Riley O’Keefe told the NYT: "They need to recognize that it’s making girls feel ashamed of their bodies."
The school has since responded to the negative feedback it has received and promised full refunds to all those who have been left dissatisfied with their yearbook picture.
However, the NYT reports that this is not the first time that Bartram Trail High School policies have incurred debate.
According to the above publication, back in March of 2021, several students were outraged when administrators at the high school stood in the school's hallway and admonished certain girls for violating the dress code.
In protest, a number of male students wore dresses and skirts, as well as some other, more colorful accessories, as a gesture of support for their female contemporaries.
