Teh One Who Knocks
05-28-2015, 11:35 AM
by Matt Maisel - FOX 43 News
BIGLERVILLE, Pa. — A letter from Biglerville High School administrators to graduating seniors used the phrases “the girls,” “bits and pieces”, and “sausage rolls” to describe female body parts as part of list of guidelines describing proper attire and etiquette for the school’s upcoming graduation.
Biglerville High School sent the letter to its seniors on Tuesday. The four-page document, which the school says was based off a template written years ago by a faculty member who has since retired, is split into multiple sections detailing how students should dress and behave for Friday’s graduation ceremony.
On the first page, under the section labeled “Ladies:”, the letter reads:
“Choose modest attire. No bellies showing, keep “the girls” covered and supported, and make sure that nothing is so small that all your bits and pieces are hanging out. Please remember as you select an outfit for the awards assembly that we don’t want to be looking at your “sausage rolls” as Mrs. Elliott calls them. As you get dressed remember that you can’t put 10 pounds of mud in a five-pound sack.”
The school district declined to an on-camera interview, instead releasing a statement. It read, in part:
“The document does not reflect the high standards of the Upper Adams School District, and the Administration will take appropriate action to address the issue. While we regret that the document contained some unfortunate word choices, we do respect all students and hope this does not distract from the dignity of the graduation ceremony and the accomplishments of our graduating class.”
Students tell Fox43 most seniors found the letter funny, and a joke to lighten the mood of a stressful week. “I don’t think it was done to offend anyone,” Biglerville senior Eleanor White said. “I think it was done to prevent us from being embarrassed. I don’t think it was offensive in any way at all.”
Biglerville seniors say they had graduation practice Wednesday morning when they received an apology from former Principal Richard Sterner, who retired earlier this school year. Students say he did not mean to offend anybody with the letter. Upper Adams School District officials would neither confirm nor deny Sterner wrote the letter.
“I didn’t find it funny, no,” senior Rebecca Forman said. “We all have different body types. There was a message that needed to be conveyed to students, and if that’s the way you want to do it, people have the right to be upset.”
Mindy Naylor, a parent whose two children graduated Biglerville in 2005 and 2007, agreed that the guidelines were offensive, adding they were especially hurtful to her.
“I consider myself overweight,” she said. “That document should be cleaned up.
“It wasn’t funny. What’s funny to me and sad at the same time is this district let this go out, and that it was written by a professional person.”
Biglerville High School graduation is scheduled for Friday.
BIGLERVILLE, Pa. — A letter from Biglerville High School administrators to graduating seniors used the phrases “the girls,” “bits and pieces”, and “sausage rolls” to describe female body parts as part of list of guidelines describing proper attire and etiquette for the school’s upcoming graduation.
Biglerville High School sent the letter to its seniors on Tuesday. The four-page document, which the school says was based off a template written years ago by a faculty member who has since retired, is split into multiple sections detailing how students should dress and behave for Friday’s graduation ceremony.
On the first page, under the section labeled “Ladies:”, the letter reads:
“Choose modest attire. No bellies showing, keep “the girls” covered and supported, and make sure that nothing is so small that all your bits and pieces are hanging out. Please remember as you select an outfit for the awards assembly that we don’t want to be looking at your “sausage rolls” as Mrs. Elliott calls them. As you get dressed remember that you can’t put 10 pounds of mud in a five-pound sack.”
The school district declined to an on-camera interview, instead releasing a statement. It read, in part:
“The document does not reflect the high standards of the Upper Adams School District, and the Administration will take appropriate action to address the issue. While we regret that the document contained some unfortunate word choices, we do respect all students and hope this does not distract from the dignity of the graduation ceremony and the accomplishments of our graduating class.”
Students tell Fox43 most seniors found the letter funny, and a joke to lighten the mood of a stressful week. “I don’t think it was done to offend anyone,” Biglerville senior Eleanor White said. “I think it was done to prevent us from being embarrassed. I don’t think it was offensive in any way at all.”
Biglerville seniors say they had graduation practice Wednesday morning when they received an apology from former Principal Richard Sterner, who retired earlier this school year. Students say he did not mean to offend anybody with the letter. Upper Adams School District officials would neither confirm nor deny Sterner wrote the letter.
“I didn’t find it funny, no,” senior Rebecca Forman said. “We all have different body types. There was a message that needed to be conveyed to students, and if that’s the way you want to do it, people have the right to be upset.”
Mindy Naylor, a parent whose two children graduated Biglerville in 2005 and 2007, agreed that the guidelines were offensive, adding they were especially hurtful to her.
“I consider myself overweight,” she said. “That document should be cleaned up.
“It wasn’t funny. What’s funny to me and sad at the same time is this district let this go out, and that it was written by a professional person.”
Biglerville High School graduation is scheduled for Friday.