School Bans Girl’s Senior Photo After They Notice What She’s Holding
Schools are getting stricter when it comes to their senior photo policies. Unfortunately, along with these new guidelines comes a few disgruntled parents and students regarding photos that have been denied. Schools can sometimes take these rules a bit too far and ban photos unnecessarily. When one school saw a teen holding something “offensive” in her hands, they didn’t hesitate to ban the photo completely.
Lisa Bihon’s daughter is a senior at Derry Area High School in Derry, Pennsylvania. After submitting a photo for a section of the yearbook called “Ads for Grads,” which is paid for by parents, Bihon was more than shocked when she was notified by the school that her photo was “inappropriate.” The photo was of her daughter holding her hunting bow without an arrow.
The school labelled the photo inappropriate because the senior was holding a “weapon.” As it’s obvious to see, Bihon’s daughter loves archery and has grown up participating in the sport with her father.
“She’s been doing it since she could walk,” explained Bihon, according to WFTV. “Her and her dad hunt. She’s an avid hunter. She hunts deer, and it’s the only sport she does.”
When she got the phone call telling her the photo submission was denied, Bihon couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Not only was this photo important to her daughter’s story, but it’s something that wouldn’t and couldn’t harm anyone.
“I think it’s wrong, and I think that everybody’s taking it too far,” Bihon admitted, according to Fox Boston. “It’s not a weapon. She’s not hurting anybody, and she should be allowed to have it in the yearbook.”
Derry school district’s superintendent had informed Bigon that “it’s an active situation and uses a past practice that no student can submit a picture with a weapon.” However, there’s one problem with that statement. Bihon found a photo in the school’s 2011 yearbook with a picture of a bow with no arrow in the ad’s section, which was obviously allowed to be printed in the book.
Lisa Bihon and her family
“Now that I went back in the yearbooks and found one, I don’t understand why,” Bihon said.
The superintendent admits that the entire ordeal is still under investigation and that they will eventually either reverse their decision or change the district’s policy about such images.
Some people need to get their panties out from a bunch. It’s just a photo and it can’t harm you. This is something that this young girl avidly enjoys. When you’re a senior, you want to encompass your whole journey into adulthood, including your interests and sports into your senior photo.
Hunting and archery are sports. Almost any sporting equipment could be used as a weapon. Would the school ban photos of baseball players with their bats? I’d be willing to bet more people have been injured and more crimes have been committed with a bat than a bow.
I think it’s safe to say that this school has taken it too far and should reconsider their stance. I can almost guarantee that the school won’t back down unless they get some resistance. So, if you don’t believe that this photo should be banned, speak up and share this story – you just might help get the school to reverse their decision.
(h/t: WFTV, Image Source: Fox Boston
