Teh One Who Knocks
05-24-2012, 07:27 PM
WSOCTV Channel 9
http://i.imgur.com/Wuhngl.jpg
LAKE NORMAN, N.C. — While many students graduating high school and moving on to the world beyond want to leave a lasting impression on their alma maters, most don’t attempt a legacy by exposing their private parts during graduation.
However, a student at Lake Norman High School’s 2011 graduation ceremony did just that, and the incident went largely unnoticed until the school issued yearbooks this year.
That’s when students and parents -- who paid $100 for the book -- noticed the girl on page 14 lifting her gown and exposing herself.
The full photo depicts nine students smiling and laughing. Some are looking at the camera; others are looking away. The teen, whose identity has not been released by school district officials, stands in the front row with her gown lifted waist high.
One parent who noticed the photo after flipping through her child’s yearbook said she was outraged by the photo and called it pornography. She has two children at the school and purchased two yearbooks, she said.
“When it was brought to my attention from my child, I was appalled," she said.
Another student posted to his Facebook page, “Leave it to Lake Norman to have a crotch shot in the yearbook.”
The school’s principal directed calls for comment to the Iredell-Statesville School District’s main office.
At the main office, the district’s public information officer, Dawn Creason, said Wednesday afternoon the photo was probably an accident.
She also suggested the bare genitals may just be an illusion created by the girl pushing her thighs together.
“Really looking at that image, we’re not sure that’s what it is at all. We think it was the way she was sitting and the angle of her gown,” Creason said. “We’re not convinced at all that you’re seeing what you think you are.”
On Wednesday, the district was in contact with the girl and her family, Creason said, but did not go into details of that conversation. The district sent a letter home to parents on Thursday about the photo.
Some parents and students Channel 9 spoke with Thursday think the issue is being blown out of proportion. “It’s upsetting the yearbook staff and everyone else is talking about it, it’s spreading like wild fire,” said a mother who would only tell Channel 9 her name was Lisa.
How did it happen?
Lake Norman High School’s yearbook staff is supervised by a faculty member who is reportedly shocked by the image’s appearance in the yearbook.
The school district did not say which faculty member served as the advisor last year.
Creason said a message was sent out by phone to families of the school warning them of the image and said a letter would be sent out Thursday. She said people can choose to get a refund for the book or send it back and get an edited version of the book that will have another image pasted over the existing photo. On Thursday, officials said only one book was returned.
School resource officers are also investigating the incident.
One parent said students were texting each other in class as soon as the yearbook's were released. “In every block I think, people were texting each other to turn to page 14," she said.
One of the students who attends the school said teachers were telling them the photo was not what it appeared to be.
Her mother said someone should have caught the photo.
“Someone should really look at everything they put in the yearbooks so that it can never happen again,” the mother said.
She added that the district’s explanation that the photo was an illusion created by the tops of the girl’s thighs is laughable.
On Wednesday night, the district issued a statement, saying the district was prepared to take action if it found any wrongdoing.
“I can assure the parents of Iredell-Statesville Schools that I take all complaints very seriously. Our administration began investigating as soon as they were made aware of this complaint. Since the investigation is not complete at this point, I hesitate to rush to judgment, but let me be clear, there is accountability in I-SS and if action is required it will be taken,” the statement read.
School board member Brian Shoemaker said he was concerned by the story, but had not yet gathered enough information to discuss the photo further.
Is this criminal?
The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office said it was going to let the district investigate the incident before stepping in and performing an investigation.
The sheriff’s department did not discuss what criminal charges, if any, the girl could face if the district and the sheriff’s department find her in violation.
One question that came to light shortly after word of the photo spread was the age of the graduate. School officials said she was 18 at the time of graduation, which may rule out any child pornography charges.
The district did not go into details on what punishment it or the school could carry out on the girl since she is a graduate.
For now, the district is sticking to its explanation that the photo was an accident. Neither the girl nor anyone who might have known about the incident during last year’s graduation have stepped forward to call it a prank.
http://i.imgur.com/Wuhngl.jpg
LAKE NORMAN, N.C. — While many students graduating high school and moving on to the world beyond want to leave a lasting impression on their alma maters, most don’t attempt a legacy by exposing their private parts during graduation.
However, a student at Lake Norman High School’s 2011 graduation ceremony did just that, and the incident went largely unnoticed until the school issued yearbooks this year.
That’s when students and parents -- who paid $100 for the book -- noticed the girl on page 14 lifting her gown and exposing herself.
The full photo depicts nine students smiling and laughing. Some are looking at the camera; others are looking away. The teen, whose identity has not been released by school district officials, stands in the front row with her gown lifted waist high.
One parent who noticed the photo after flipping through her child’s yearbook said she was outraged by the photo and called it pornography. She has two children at the school and purchased two yearbooks, she said.
“When it was brought to my attention from my child, I was appalled," she said.
Another student posted to his Facebook page, “Leave it to Lake Norman to have a crotch shot in the yearbook.”
The school’s principal directed calls for comment to the Iredell-Statesville School District’s main office.
At the main office, the district’s public information officer, Dawn Creason, said Wednesday afternoon the photo was probably an accident.
She also suggested the bare genitals may just be an illusion created by the girl pushing her thighs together.
“Really looking at that image, we’re not sure that’s what it is at all. We think it was the way she was sitting and the angle of her gown,” Creason said. “We’re not convinced at all that you’re seeing what you think you are.”
On Wednesday, the district was in contact with the girl and her family, Creason said, but did not go into details of that conversation. The district sent a letter home to parents on Thursday about the photo.
Some parents and students Channel 9 spoke with Thursday think the issue is being blown out of proportion. “It’s upsetting the yearbook staff and everyone else is talking about it, it’s spreading like wild fire,” said a mother who would only tell Channel 9 her name was Lisa.
How did it happen?
Lake Norman High School’s yearbook staff is supervised by a faculty member who is reportedly shocked by the image’s appearance in the yearbook.
The school district did not say which faculty member served as the advisor last year.
Creason said a message was sent out by phone to families of the school warning them of the image and said a letter would be sent out Thursday. She said people can choose to get a refund for the book or send it back and get an edited version of the book that will have another image pasted over the existing photo. On Thursday, officials said only one book was returned.
School resource officers are also investigating the incident.
One parent said students were texting each other in class as soon as the yearbook's were released. “In every block I think, people were texting each other to turn to page 14," she said.
One of the students who attends the school said teachers were telling them the photo was not what it appeared to be.
Her mother said someone should have caught the photo.
“Someone should really look at everything they put in the yearbooks so that it can never happen again,” the mother said.
She added that the district’s explanation that the photo was an illusion created by the tops of the girl’s thighs is laughable.
On Wednesday night, the district issued a statement, saying the district was prepared to take action if it found any wrongdoing.
“I can assure the parents of Iredell-Statesville Schools that I take all complaints very seriously. Our administration began investigating as soon as they were made aware of this complaint. Since the investigation is not complete at this point, I hesitate to rush to judgment, but let me be clear, there is accountability in I-SS and if action is required it will be taken,” the statement read.
School board member Brian Shoemaker said he was concerned by the story, but had not yet gathered enough information to discuss the photo further.
Is this criminal?
The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office said it was going to let the district investigate the incident before stepping in and performing an investigation.
The sheriff’s department did not discuss what criminal charges, if any, the girl could face if the district and the sheriff’s department find her in violation.
One question that came to light shortly after word of the photo spread was the age of the graduate. School officials said she was 18 at the time of graduation, which may rule out any child pornography charges.
The district did not go into details on what punishment it or the school could carry out on the girl since she is a graduate.
For now, the district is sticking to its explanation that the photo was an accident. Neither the girl nor anyone who might have known about the incident during last year’s graduation have stepped forward to call it a prank.