School District Responds to Questionable Yearbook Photo

TAMPA, FL -- It is hardly a picture perfect moment for a 16-year-old Sickles High School student, now caught in the yearbook forever.

The young girl said even though she kept her legs together while wearing a dress in the front row, the photo shows her private part. While she wasn't wearing underwear that day, she says didn't mean for this to happen. The girl has not been back to school since Monday - when hundreds of classmates got their yearbooks.

"All of the administrators are trying to downplay it and saying I should really laugh it off and come back to school but I've been humiliated," she said.

The girl's mother says her daughter is so humiliated she's taking her out of school for the rest of the year. That would seem to be a serious concern for school leaders but on Wednesday, a district spokesperson told 10 Connects, the picture was not what people think it is, saying it is just a shadow.

"My whole thing is it doesn't matter, the photo itself is damaging to a sixteen-year-old and should not have been published," said the girl's mother.

We went to your elected school board members.

Candy Olson had not heard about the story. Her first reaction was to say "Perception is reality," expressing concern for the girl's welfare. Five hours later, she changed her tune, saying, "It needs to be dropped. You should not do the story."

Carol Kurdell echoed Olson's second response saying, "It's an overblown problem... leave it alone."

10 Connects tried to get in touch with other board members and the superintendent but spokesperson Steve Hegarty said, "We don't think this is a story." He added even if we think it is a story, "We won't cooperate with your story."