Student's 1st & 2nd photos rejected by school yearbook

[rkolinski]

Note: Sydney Spies is 18 according to the Huffington Post.

(Real video) Sydney Spies Yearbook Photo BANNED - YouTube

"Aspiring young model Sydney Spies of Durango appeared on the "Today Show" with her mom Monday to discuss what they see as a censorship issue. Spies has now submitted two photos to her Durango High School's yearbook staff for approval, but has been denied both times for being "unprofessional" and "innappropriate."

Spies, 18, and her mother Miki Spies, told "Today Show" host Matt Lauer that they still believe the photo best describes Spies' personality and that they won't submit a "boring" photo for her senior portrait.

The yearbook staff has told Spies that they will run her photos if she is willing to buy the ad space in the back of the yearbook for $300. But that proposal hasn't sat well with Spies.

"If it's going to be in the yearbook anyway, then why should I not be able to have it as my senior picture?" Spies asked Lauer.

As the story has spread however, the Spies have been dealing with both supportive and outraged segments of the public. Since the Durango Herald first broke the story January 5, Spies has said she had to create a Facebook fan page because her personal account shut down under the new weight of friend requests.

"I want people to know that freedom of expression is essential and censoring yearbooks and people is wrong," Spies wrote on her new Facebook page. " I am a fun, loving, determined, outgoing, caring, tenacious person that is willing to go through whatever it takes to make a point. The controversy over my yearbook photograph has become quite the scandal and I believe that we have the right to express ourselves in any form. Love it or hate it, this is who I am."http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1194915.html

[Blu-Benny]

where were those girls when i was in high school??

[ArmyOfDarknessAW]

I kind of agree those are not appropriate for a yearbook. I would say they should just submit a more normal picture like almost every other teenager does.

[wilky61]

I'm not a law student or anything, but I thought there have been Supreme Court cases that have set a precedent for school administrators' being able to curb freedom of speech in certain situations?

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by wilky61

I'm not a law student or anything, but I thought there have been Supreme Court cases that have set a precedent for school administrators' being able to curb freedom of speech in certain situations?

The year-book has a staff. They select all the content (dumb stories, photos, clubs, what-not) The books ARE FOR SALE. They have the right to publish what they want, and exclude what they don't

I would like to congratulate that girl's parents for raising a hooker though...... If my daughter ever even conjured up the idea of doing something like that, I will know I have failed as a father.

[Snake Plissken]

Light the Doug Hutchinson Signal

[Tom Hiddleston]

Aspiring young Playboy model.

[wilky61]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

The year-book has a staff. They select all the content (dumb stories, photos, clubs, what-not) The books ARE FOR SALE. They have the right to publish what they want, and exclude what they don't

I would like to congratulate that girl's parents for raising a hooker though...... If my daughter ever even conjured up the idea of doing something like that, I will know I have failed as a father.

Well the yearbook staff is going to be overseen by one of the school's faculty members, but I really don't see the problem in the yearbook staff refusing to publish her photos.

If a school can get away with enforcing a dress code in its hallways without violating freedom of expression laws, then I don't see what the problem is for an official publication of the school to enforce a dress code...

[SixSpeedSamurai]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

The year-book has a staff. They select all the content (dumb stories, photos, clubs, what-not) The books ARE FOR SALE. They have the right to publish what they want, and exclude what they don't

I would like to congratulate that girl's parents for raising a hooker though...... If my daughter ever even conjured up the idea of doing something like that, I will know I have failed as a father.

Word, I have three daughters and they already know clothes like thta are inappropriate.

Her parents are awful. They must work in the adult industry or something to let that go.

[Konfusion1230]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

The year-book has a staff. They select all the content (dumb stories, photos, clubs, what-not) The books ARE FOR SALE. They have the right to publish what they want, and exclude what they don't

I would like to congratulate that girl's parents for raising a hooker though...... If my daughter ever even conjured up the idea of doing something like that, I will know I have failed as a father.

This. They can run their yearbook however they want and I'm sure most would agree that the photos in question are "inappropriate" and "unprofessional" for a high school yearbook.

They sure run their yearbook differently from the way mine was. All of our senior pictures included in the yearbook were taken by the school and all looked the same, possibly to avoid issues like this one. Most people wore nicer clothes than the ones they would wear on an average day.

[LucasEatWorld]

I can kind of see how the first photo is inappropriate, but there is nothing wrong at all with the second one. Most people "dress up" for their pictures in the yearbook and I think she's just looking nice. If anything, it's the pose she's doing that makes it seem more "scandalous."

[TylerDurden]

Second pic is ugly. Nothing worse than a girl who tries hard to be sexy. That should come naturally with her beauty.

[Tom Hiddleston]

Originally Posted by TylerDurden

Second pic is ugly. Nothing worse than a girl who tries hard to be sexy. That should come naturally with her beauty.

Excellent post. I think that the makeup is a little much as well.

[remake]

Couldn't they just crop the pictures?

[rkolinski]

Editors and yearbook school advisor respond to controversy and Spies' mother purchases 2 pages in yearbook for $600.00 so her daughter's photos can be posted

Student Editors Say They Made Decision To Pull Controversial Yearbook Photo - YouTube

Facebook page for "Thru The Lens Fine Portraits" which took the photos of Sydney Spies (includes additional modeling images of Spies)
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...3143087&type=1