Parents of Female Students Call Out High School for Editing Yearbook Photos Without Consent

Parents of high school students are upset after female students’ yearbook photos were edited to cover up their cleavage without consent.

Bartram Trail High School in northeast Florida is getting called out by parents for humiliating their daughters. USA Today reports the school edited several girls’ photos to cover up their breasts and cleavage, allegedly under the school district’s dress code.

“I think it sends the message that our girls should be ashamed of their growing bodies, and I think that’s a horrible message to send out to these young girls that are going through these changes,” said Adrian Bartlett, a mother of one of the female high school students who had their photo edited.

Bartlett said the photo was edited so poorly, and it made her daughter look unnatural. The bad editing job has led to kids teasing the student, the mother said.

“My daughter has been hospitalized twice this school year due to the stress and pressure this past year has brought upon her, including body image issues, which she is still seeking regular treatment for,” Bartlett said in an email to the St. Augustine Record. “And now, the school has made a decision that is now drawing attention to her body in a negative way.”

A teacher named Anne Irwin edited the photos because she decided the photos were out of the dress code. However, parents say the girls were not breaking any school codes with their wardrobes. The school’s website says that pictures “may be digitally adjusted” if they don’t align with clothing rules.

According to the school district’s spokesperson, Christina Langston, “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, so the digital alterations were a solution to make sure all students were included in the yearbook.”

Langston added: “At this point, the school is offering refunds to any parents calling about this issue. The school is receiving feedback from parents, guardians, and students on making this process better for next year.”