Sexism? Only one of these photos was banned from a high school yearbook

A high-schooler in Wisconsin says her photo was deemed “inappropriate” for the yearbook because the bralette under her shirt could be seen.

And yet, she pointed out last week in a tweet that is causing a stir on social media, members of the boys swim team can pose shirtless in tiny swim trunks.

She thinks that’s sexist.

“Here’s my senior picture. because you can see my part of my brallette, it was “too inappropriate”. yet, here’s the boys swim team picture,” Eleanor Fitzwilliams, 17, wrote in a post that included side-by-side photos.

Fitzwilliams attends Verona Area High School in Verona, Wisc., where school administrators have not yet spoken publicly about the debate over gender equality her tweet has raised on social media.

Her original tweet has been retweeted more than 33,000 times, has been liked more than 174,000 times and has prompted more than 600 comments.

She clarified later that she has no beef with the swim team.

“My tweet wasn’t to call out the boys it’s about the school saying my pic wasn’t ok but they show way more skin and get their pic seen a lot more,” she tweeted.

She told Yahoo Lifestyle she shared the photos just to vent, but now that so many people have weighed in she hopes it will “start a conversation in my school about sexualization and dress code.”

“So far I have a lot of support from my peers and adults in my life; everyone’s really proud of me for speaking up,” she told Yahoo. “The school is aware of the situation, and I’ve had a few conversations with faculty, but I still need to meet with the principal.”

She’s getting mostly support on Twitter, with a few exceptions like this comment: “An exposed bra is not a sports uniform. I understand how ridiculous and old school this is but it’s sort of apples and oranges here.”

James Walnut, a member of the boys’ swim team, said he wasn’t keen on being seen in that team photo in the yearbook.

“Given that I’m the extra hefty one in the center row of the pic I guarantee that it was the last thing I wanted too see in the yearbook too,” he tweeted.

One girl tweeted that she’s having a similar issue at her school, where she wrestles. She said the boy wrestlers were allowed to pose in their singlets, but she wasn’t.

“I wasn’t allowed to take my senior wrestling picture in my singlet like my teammates because I’m a girl ... stupid ...” the female wrestler tweeted.

Last month in Joplin, Mo., a teacher reportedly called teenager Kelsey Anderson “busty” and “plus-sized” and kicked her out of class for wearing a blouse that “didn’t cover her cleavage properly.”

An attorney for the teen’s family said she was being bullied and had to shut down most of her social media accounts.

“I’ve had quite a few students and parents contact me that this may not be isolated and that female students have been treated differently at Joplin than males and that there is a pattern of discrimination,” Joplin lawyer Elizabeth Turner told The Star.

Other girls have been sharing their stories with Fitzwilliams.

“One of the most significant things about my post was that I found I wasn’t alone in this struggle because there were many girls who replied to my tweet citing similar incidents with their dress code and administration,” Fitzwilliams told Yahoo.

This story was originally published October 2, 2017 at 1:21 PM with the headline "Sexism? Only one of these photos was banned from a high school yearbook."