Story at a glance
- A Florida school is facing criticism after digitally editing the yearbook photos of 80 students who the school claims were violating the dress code.
- Adrian Bartlett, the mother of a student at Bartram Trail High School, said her daughter’s photo was altered to cover more skin.
- But the quality of the editing led fellow students to poke fun at the girl, Bartlett told a local news outlet.
A Florida school is facing criticism after digitally editing the yearbook photos of 80 students who the school claims were violating the dress code.
Adrian Bartlett, the mother of a student at Bartram Trail High School, told The St. Augustine Record that her daughter’s photo was altered to cover more skin — but the quality of the editing led fellow students to poke fun at the girl.
“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,” Bartlett told the Record.
“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,” she added.
A district spokesperson told the outlet that the yearbook coordinator edited all photos they believed were in violation of the school’s dress code. Previously, the school would omit a student’s picture from the yearbook if their attire broke school rules. The digital alterations were a way to salvage photos, the spokesperson said.
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But some parents and students disagree that rules were broken, and Bartlett told the Record her daughter had worn the same outfit throughout the year without any issues.
Likewise, Riley O’Keefe, a freshman at Bartram Trail High School, told News4Jax that there was a “black box” over her chest that “looks really awkward.” O’Keefe also said she had her outfit cleared by the school.
“It made me feel a little uncomfortable that that’s what they noticed when they looked at our pictures,” O’Keefe told News4Jax.
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The school’s dress code states that “tops and shirts must cover the entire shoulder and they must be modest and not revealing or distracting” and that “midriff or ‘cut‐out’ dresses and ‘cut out’ tops may not be worn.”
“Extremely short skirts are not allowed. Skirts must be no shorter than four inches (4″) above the top of the knee,” the dress code reads. “Revealing clothing, pajamas and lingerie are not acceptable. Underwear must not be exposed.”
A spokesperson for the school told News4Jax that “enforcement of the dress code happens at the school level and differs from administration to administration.”
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