A senior picture of a fully-clothed female student was deemed inappropriate by a Wisconsin high school while the men’s swim team was allowed to pose in tiny speedos for theirs.
Eleanor Fitzwilliams, a student at Verona Area High School, was told her senior picture could not be in the yearbook because part of her bralette showed, and had to send in a new one to be included.
The 17-year-old posted her rejected senior picture alongside the men’s swim team’s in a tweet that has now gone viral and sparked a debate about why certain rules in schools only apply to female students.
Unfair? Eleanor Fitzwilliams, 17, posted her senior picture, which was deemed ‘inappropriate’ by Verona Area High School in Wisconsin, alongside the men’s swim team’s photo
Inappropriate? The senior was told her senior portrait could not be in the yearbook because part of her bralette showed
Showing skin: Members of the Wisconsin’s high school’s swim team were allowed to pose in speedos for their yearbook picture
‘Here’s my senior picture. Because you can see part of my bralette, it was “too inappropriate”. Yet, here’s the boy’s swim team picture,’ Eleanor wrote alongside the two photos.
She later said that she was asked to send a different picture, and clarified that her tweet wasn’t meant to target the men’s swim team, but the rules that unfairly target girls.
‘My tweet wasn’t to call out the boys it’s about the school saying my pic wasn’t ok but they show way more skin and get their pic seen a lot more,’ said the senior.
She also added that after talking to teachers and friends she’s planning on speaking to the principal ‘with a fully prepared argument’ and asked people on Twitter to advise her.
Eleanor’s tweet has been shared more than 25,000 times and liked more than 150,000 since it was posted on Tuesday.
Responses to the tweet varied from supportive of Eleanor’s argument to understanding of why the men’s swim team would be allowed to show more skin on the yearbook’s pages.
‘Submit a new one in a speedo,’ advised one Twitter user.
‘Send in the same pic but over ur [sic] bralette photoshop the swim teams nipples,’ added another.
Viral: Eleanor’s tweet has been shared more than 25,000 times and liked more than 150,000 since it was posted on Tuesday
Clarifying: ‘My tweet wasn’t to call out the boys it’s about the school saying my pic wasn’t ok but they show way more skin and get their pic seen a lot more,’ said the senior
Taking action: Eleanor is now planing on speaking to the principal ‘with a fully prepared argument’ and asked people on Twitter to advise her.
A member of the school’s swim team, James Walnut, also weighed in on the side-by-side photos.
‘Given that I’m the extra hefty one in the center row of the pic I guarantee that it was the last thing I wanted too see in the yearbook too,’ he admitted.
Many even said they would want to come to Eleanor graduation party: ‘This is such a cute senior photo??? Like i wanna come to her grad party and hype this adorable girl up’.
Still, others agreed with the high school’s judgment on which outfits are deemed appropriate.
One reply to Eleano’rs tweet read: ‘An exposed bra is not a sports uniform. I understand how ridiculous and old school this is but it’s sort of apples and oranges here…’
Attempts by DailyMail.com to reach the yearbook adviser at Verona Area High School went unanswered.