A high school swimmer won her 100-meter race, only to be disqualified for having her school-issued swimsuit be deemed too revealing.
The Alaska School Activities Association has reviewed and determined that the disqualification of a high school teenager for breaking the modesty rule was the “result of the misapplication of the rule and as a result is being overturned.” The official who made the call claimed that she could see “butt cheek touching butt cheek,” which breaks the modesty rule. The rule is up to an official’s discretion and the teen had swum 14 races this season in the same suit without being disqualified. The team’s swim coach stated that from her “understanding, it’s by a case-by-case basis … [some have] a harder problem with it than others.”
Some claim that the teen was only disqualified due to reasons other than a discretionary ruling. Lauren Langford, a local swim coach who attended the meet, said that “all of these girls are wearing suits that are cut the same way … and the only girl who gets disqualified is a mixed-race girl with rounder, curvier features.”
While this teen has not been disqualified before, she has previously received some comments about her school-issued suit. Langford reported hearing other parents saying that “for the sake of their sons … [she should] cover up.” Additionally, Langford reported that a parent on the team took a picture of this teen’s butt in the swimsuit unknowingly, then emailed the photo to other parents to show that said suit was inappropriate.
The anonymous teen’s mother spoke out and said she wished her daughter would “be valued for [her] athleticism and determination in the pool – not criticized for the shape and size of [her] body.”
Source: Huffington Post 9/10/19, Anchorage Daily News 9/9/19
