Recently, a high school senior has become embroiled in a lawsuit with her school over her preferred yearbook photo and their refusal to use it as her senior portrait. See link below.
Article
Please read the article and watch the video if possible and comment on the following:
What is your opinion on the student's claim that this violates her freedom of expression? What about the yearbook staff's decision? Think of some of the cases we've studied in this class and of your own high school and yearbook and discuss what you think is the right way to proceed with regards to this case. Use your own experience as well - i.e. think about how much work is involved behind the scenes, how this could affect the book's theme, what is the purpose of the yearbook, etc...
I think this is a publicity stunt and the girl took advantage of the fact that she was able to pick her own photo for the yearbook. I personally think it is not appropriate for school to have dressed the way she did. The students claim is ridiculous to me because yes that is violating her freedom of speech but it this case its different because she wants the picture to be put in her highschool yearbook. The students did the right thing by not allowing her to put that in the yearbook. The point of the yearbook is for it to have information and pictures of the past years so that you have something to look back on to remember your highschool years. Therefore, i think she was looking for attention and she got it.
ReplyDeleteI honestly believe that the student is right when saying that this violates her freedom of expression but at the same time, this picture is also a representation of yourself in the yearbook, it's your image. The yearbook staff's decision in refusing to let the photo be used as her senior portrait in the yearbook is a good one. I just think that you should be professional and express yourself more better because this is your senior year portrait.
ReplyDeleteI think that Sydney Spies decision to publish that picture for her senior portrait is ridiculous. As a student and in order to keep up her school's reputation, she should know that the photo was highly inappropriate. Even though it could not be posted as a senior picture, the yearbook staff still offered to put it in the yearbook, which is more than fair, in my opinion. Brian Jaramillo was right in saying that the quality of the yearbook would be ruined.Overall, I think she should have been satisfied with the fact that they allowed her to upload the provocative picture in the yearbook.
ReplyDeleteI think that the student thought that her freedom of expression was being violated because she was not able to put the picutre she wanted in the yearbook, but instead was rejected. The yearbook staff's decision was not entirely right either. They shouldn't have taken her out of the yearbook completely and she shouldn't have went to extremes to actually protest against the whole thing. They were doing her a favor for not actually putting the picture in the yearbook because she might regret it in a couple of years. They should have just told her to either pick a different picture or no picture, leave the deision up to her. There is so much work to put into a yearbook and the fact that the school is trying to portray that it is a good school, and also the fact that this girl wants to mess it up by putting this picture is just not thoughtful at all. They both should have compensated with eachother instead of jumping at each other's throats.
ReplyDeleteI'm absolutely sure that this girl isn't fighting against her school for any legitimate motive, but because she's simply a brat. Her only argument that the school is denying her right to freedom of expression. She has every right to feel as though her "creativity" isn't aloud to be expressed, however, there is nothing creative about a racy picture. It's highly inappropriate and the school is doing nothing wrong by denying a picture such as this one to be her senior portrait. A high school yearbook should be classy and professional, and she's disturbing the peace by attempting to corrupt the reputation the yearbook has.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, she is disturbing the peace.
DeleteI believe that this does violate her freedom of expression, but it also violates the yearbook rules and regulation. I believe that the yearbook made the right decision, that their option of allowing her picture to be in the yearbook but not as a portrait was good, and that she should be happy they atleast let her photo in. This books theme and reputation could be affected greatly by this provocative picture, and I don't believe that this picture should be in the book at all. She can express herself elsewhere, not in a book where not only her but others are buying it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Spies, that this violates her freedom of expression. However, I also agree with the Durango yearbook editors and that there is a standard to maintain. There is an approriate time and place for everything, but a provocative photo for a senior portrait simply doesn't cut it. If anything, the editors are being much too nice about this case and shouldn't even include Spies's suggestive photo in the yearbook.
ReplyDeleteWhile I believe the Yearbook staff was right in not letting the girl use the picture as her class photo, I also believe that the girl's rights to freedom of expression were violated. While the Yearbook staff has every right to tell someone whether or not their pictures are appropriate, they should have been able to come to some sort of agreement with the girl that would have diverted the girl from taking legal action. For example, if they had cropped the picture to show only her upper body, it may have been deemed more appropriate and TECHNICALLY the picture she chose would still have been in the Yearbook. As Ciana said, the picture she chose may have damaged the reputation of the school and the Yearbook, and the Yearbook staff were right in doing what they did.
ReplyDeleteI agree that they could have some how edited the picture so that it could have been in the yearbook, but other than that, she was being very innapropriate.
DeleteWhile I agree that the students freedom of expression was violated, I don't think the school did this on purpose. They have an apparently outstanding reputation, and do not want it soiled by vulgarity from one of their own students. There are limits, and she clearly crossed them because this isn't some magazine, it's a school-issued yearbook and should be treated as such. So posing in a midriff and mini skirt not only violated their school dress code, but is too revealing and should be treated as a violation. She's lucky she didn't even get suspended.
ReplyDeleteWhat I personally think is that yes, it may be a violatoin of her freedom of expression, but why would she want THAT as her yearbook picture ? Why would she want to be remembered to her peers by that picture. When she's older and has kids, I'm sure she's not going to want to show her kids that picture. I think the yearbook staff chose the right thing to do in not putting her in the yearbook. That just throws off the entire yearbook. A yearbook is supposed to reflect the school, and I'm sure the school doesn't want that picture going down in history. That picture is a disrespect to the yearbook staff's hard work and dedication.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this it is in violation of her Freedom of expression, but could it be said that she should have chosen something more appropriate. The yearbook staff had the right to say that this picture was inappropriate for the yearbook. The picture would have been fine for any other particular setting, she should have known that for her school yearbook their has to be a certain level of modesty and professionalism not only for the safety of the students but for the integrity of the school.
ReplyDeleteAs everyone else said, it is true that it violates her freedom of expression, but it is very unappropriate to have that picture as the senior portrait of such a professional yearbook. I believe the editors made the right and professional choice of not publishing that picture as her senior portrait. I'm pretty sure the staff already has enough work on their hands maintaining a proper yearbook, and her protest just adds to it. She should just agree with their suggestion to use the picture as her senior ad. It's better than nothing, in her case.
ReplyDeleteThe girl should have seen the difference between an inappropriate picture for yearbook and an appropriate picture for yearbook. It was her mistake from the beginning, and then to sue a school over a picture in the yearbook!? She's a brat and she obviously can't deal with the fact that she IS, indeed, a brat. Her freedom of expression may have been violated, but her actions did not make up for it either.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand her decision to go that far because the administration and editors gave her a good enough choice to still put that picture in the yearbook. A senior portrait should be simple, clean cut, and most of all, not inappropriate. As an editor of the yearbook, I would not have much tolerance for it because while everyone else is working hard to complete a book with a theme, someone wants jump out crying because the photo that they want isn't included. If every person were to cry out like that, I would be among those people too.
If she had dressed in less revealing clothes, I'm sure the editors wouldn't have minded changing her senior portrait to her preference.
I feel that the school was right in not allowing the young girl to use the photo as her senior portrait. The girl has to understand that although she has freedom of expression, her picture is a semblance of the school. She, being a senior there, represents the school and what it stands for. Therefore, the school has the right to choose what is appropriate representation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tianna, that the school should have considered the girl's pictures as a violation. This should not even be a discussion, as the girl seems to immature to even distinguish between appropriateness and inappropriateness regarding school policy.
-Myranda
Considering her photo was very provocative I do not agree the banning of her senior portrait is violating her expression of freedom. It was also stressed that there is a set school dress code; things not permitted to wear in school should not be allowed in a school year book. The fact that her parents actually bake her up on this claim is worst. I also believe this stunt was for attention, potentially a “claim to fame”. The yearbook staff was right in not allowing her to use this picture as her senior portrait, they gave her the chance to use it else where and she should accept that and respect the decision. If students in her high school were mature enough to realize this picture was highly inappropriate for a yearbook portrait and these are her peers, she should wake up and end this “lawsuit” because in the end she is in the wrong.
ReplyDeleteI believe that in order to make the right judgement, one must look at the situation from both points of view. I understand her point, and the school's. However, she should realize that that picture will remain in that yearbook for a very long time. There may come a day that her children want to see that picture in the yearbook. Obviously, the picture will not have a positive effect on children.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I agree with the school. The picture she took would send the wrong message, and frankly, she should have the common sense to know what is appropriate in a picture, and what isn't. Pictures are usually taken for memories. I would feel ashamed towards her if that picture truly represents the kind of memory she wants to leave behind.
I think this girl is just spoiled and she is only thinking about herself. She isn’t thinking about the fact that her photo is too revealing and her one photo can make the entire yearbook unprofessional. I think she claimed that her freedom of expression was violated simply so she could have an argument to actually keep her photo in the yearbook. As for the yearbook’s staff decision, I think it was an understandable one but I think they could have done something to keep her photo. If the photo was cropped it would be more appropriate. They could have cropped out her body and used her face for the senior portrait, and technically the photo was still used. Comparing this case to other cases we have studied I think the yearbook staff did the right thing. The photo was inappropriate and the female was only looking for attention.
ReplyDeleteShe seems like she is looking for attention over her peers.
DeleteI believe that the student should have known the difference between appropriate and inappropriate. Her school obviously didn't set ground rules on what would be appropriate for the yearbook. She assumed that this would be expressing herself and she obviously wanted to be remembered that way. Although it violated her freedom of expression it also would have destroyed the award winning yearbook's reputation. Everything should have been down in writing stating what would be appropriate or not.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that this issue violates her freedom of expression, but on the other hand the picture is inappropriate to be put in a yearbook. Even though she should be able
ReplyDeleteto put in any picture she should be mindful of the content that is to be put in the yearbook. A yearbook is made so you can have it forever to memorize all your peers. No one wants to be remembered with a bad reputation. I think she should be able to put in any picture she wants just as long that its able to be approved by administration as appropriate.
if anyone wants to see the photo....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.inquisitr.com/178143/colorado-student-banned-from-yearbook-over-sexy-photo/
I do believe that this student is limited to what she wants to express, however she should realize that she can never take off the picture again. Especially, in today’s media anyone can get a picture from Google. If she was going on a job interview and the manager found that picture it’s going to be hard to explain herself. However, it does violate her rights because it’s her decision whether or not to put that picture. On the other hand I do understand why the yearbook staff made the decision of not putting it as a senor portrait. They want the yearbook to be seen as something memorable not seen as a joke. Yearbook is something that should not be taken for granted because it’s something you want to look back on. In a way her picture does take away from what the yearbook stands for. It’s a touchy topic to discuss because she shouldn’t put a picture like that of herself, but we don’t own anyone. We have a freedom of expression as long as it doesn’t harm or violate anyone. Who are we to tell other people what to wear or how to act, but there are some complications as well. In the end we make our own decesions.
ReplyDelete