RIGHT OR WRONG?

[Duchess]

A Minnesota school district in under fire after refusing to allow a struggling teenage mother to include her baby daughter in her graduation yearbook photo.


Menahga High School has also been criticised for banning students from including a tribute to one of their classmates who committed suicide earlier this year.

Story

[ramseycat]

They are both wrong. Who is the school to decide what a person can put in their photo? As long as it isn't inappropriate, it shouldn't be a problem.
As for the school not letting them put in a tribute to their friend? That is beyond wrong. Assholes.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Guess that depends on how you define "Inappropriate" Is a teenage unwed mother an example of "Appropriate" for high school? Is that something you would want your daughter to see as acceptable? If anything that is in the year book is appropriate by virtue of being in there, then mybe the point of excluding the girls photo with the kid is appropriate.
As to the kid that suicided, yes, I think a tribute would be right.

[Duchess]

If I understand the story correctly I think that she wanted to show that with hard work & dedication you can succeed in getting through school & graduating in spite of having a baby. So many young women quit school when they get pregnant.

[ramseycat]

That's what I was thinking Duchess. No, I wouldn't want my daughter to get pregnant in High School. But if she did and still worked hard to earn her diploma I wouldn't have a problem with her including the baby in the pic.

[krystalshores]

I could see them putting a picture of her and the child some where in the yearbook as an acknowlegment or applause but not in the class photos. It would make the page look bizzare. The baby did not graduate, the young mother did.

[RaisingAPrince]

I could see them putting a picture of her and the child some where in the yearbook as an acknowlegment or applause but not in the class photos. It would make the page look bizzare. The baby did not graduate, the young mother did.

That's what I was thinking as well. I'm sure there is a strict policy of the yearbook photo being only the person graduating, so that makes sense. They could very easily put a picture of her and her baby on another page and praise her for completing high school while being a teen mom.

I'd be interested to hear more about the tribute to the suicide victim though. That seems odd to me.

[LuciferLynn]

I don't think its right. If she wants to do that, youre able to pay for your own page in the yearbook where you can put photos, quotes, whatever you want. Buy one and submit your own picture.

The suicide tribute is ridiculous. They, as well as anyone, even the single mother, can purchase a page in the yearbook for the tribute and have photos, quotes, anything they want.

Now if someone is saying to either of them "no, you may not purchase a page in the yearbook for pictures of you and your daughter/for a tribute for your friend that has passed" then that is altogether wrong. As long as what they want on the page isn't obscene, they are willing to pay for it and those that don't like it can skip over it.

[krystalshores]

youre able to pay for your own page in the yearbook where you can put photos, quotes, whatever you want. Buy one and submit your own picture.

Wow! That's amazing that you can do that at your kids high school.
You can not do that here. In fact, they are VERY strict about what goes in the yearbook.

[LuciferLynn]

Really? I was able to do this when I was in high school, and they still do it here. My oldest has already forbidden me from purchasing a page.

[RaisingAPrince]

Really? I was able to do this when I was in high school, and they still do it here. My oldest has already forbidden me from purchasing a page.

They do something similar at our high schools. You can't purchase an entire page but they sell squares where you can put any picture you want and a little block of text next to it. Most parents put baby pictures of their graduating kid with a "We're so proud of you" message.

[ramseycat]

Really? I was able to do this when I was in high school, and they still do it here. My oldest has already forbidden me from purchasing a page.

That's cuz he knows you too well!

[LuciferLynn]

I'm the sobbing mother at every school function, concert, graduation, track meet, play.....I very often hear "if you're gonna be crying, just stay home."

[ramseycat]

Me too. I can't help it. I get all emotional when it comes to the kids. They tease me about it too. Mom, did you bring your tissues?? Brats LOL