Sydney Spies, After Third Yearbook Photo Rejected, Seeks Redress
EmailThe Colorado teenager who made national headlines when her racy senior pictured was rejected by the editors of her school yearbook has been the victim of bullying and discrimination and will continue to fight after the school rejected a third photo and used her school ID photo instead, her mother says.
Miki Spies, the mother of Durango High School senior Sydney Spies, told Westword magazine that she and Sydney’s father plan to file a complaint with the Durango, Colo., school board and superintendent in the hope that they “acknowledge that there’s been a lot of mishandling of this situation.”
“Sydney feels very bullied, by the entire school, basically,” Spies, 44, told Westword. “The school has been awful and the kids have been awful. She’s received very little support in any way from anybody. There’s been a ton of cyber-bullying, where people can say whatever they want without looking the person in the eyes. It’s been extremely hurtful for our entire family.”
Spies, 18, was notified last month by administrators at Durango High that a photo she submitted of herself posing in a short yellow skirt midriff and shoulder-exposing black shawl would not be allowed to be used as her senior portrait.
Spies fought back, holding a protest with her mother and other students outside the school and meeting with administrators whom, she said, banned her photo because it violated dress code.
While Spies placed the blame on school administrators, the yearbook’s five student editors insisted it was their decision alone on the photo.
“We are an award-winning yearbook. We don’t want to diminish the quality with something that can be seen as unprofessional,” student Brian Jaramillo told the Durango Herald last month.
Spies’ appeal, including the threat of a lawsuit and surrounding media coverage, did not sway the school so she submitted a second photo, this one of her posing in a strapless black dress, according to the Westword.
When that photo was rejected, also for violating dress code, the Spies family says, she submitted a third, “model-type photo” that was rejected as well, this time because she missed the deadline, according to Spies.
“The yearbook adviser and editors have decided to use my school ID picture as my senior photo. Since I went to NY, then had the flu they said I was too late to submit another Sr. picture,” she wrote on her Facebook page. “They ALSO decided that I couldn’t use the ‘controversial’ picture in my ad anymore that I had already paid for, so I requested my money back. I also dropped my yearbook class because its become a hostile environment. What a lovely Sr. year this has turned out to be…”
The yearbook’s editors had originally offered their fellow student the opportunity to include the original photo in one of the ad pages in the back of the yearbook, just not as her senior photo.
Miki Spies also commented on the situation on her own Facebook page.
“This whole yearbook photo has me thinking again. A lot of people are questioning my parenting skills. My kids tell me everything and I try to guide them as best as I can. But in the end I allow them to make their own decisions resulting in their own successes or failures,” she wrote. “I don’t see what resulted with all of this as a failure at all. Sydney has had the world see her photo. In my opinion the fact …that she would love to be a famous model someday shows that she made a pretty interesting decision! No matter how all of this turns out my daughter made her own choice and is ready to make her own way.”
Neither Spies nor the school responded to requests for comment placed today by ABCNews.com.
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What a crap disturber her and her family are. She’s 18, yes, she has the right to dress as she wants but if a group of fellow peers say to put more clothes on, suck it up princess. Wow, shocking the USA is having probs staying afloat with these headlines.
Posted by: mike | February 11, 2012, 1:55 am 1:55 am
it does not matter if she is 17,16 or 18 she is still in school and she has to dress decent and she still lives under her parents roof I blame the parents , those clothes are not appropriate for school those are the type of clothes you would see a woman wearing in a bar.
Posted by: lonnie holmes | February 11, 2012, 3:34 am 3:34 am
Her age is not an issue. The little brat can dress as she wants when she is in the street or her house. She and her family need to understand that ALL schools have something called “Dress Code” and the girl has to respect that and suck it up and stop acting like a 5 year old throwing a fit. Shame on her mother, she should know better. Probably one of those mothers that doesn’t have a clue on parenting.
Posted by: Tracy | February 11, 2012, 9:44 am 9:44 am
This is exactly why the high schools in my town only allow headshots for yearbook pics. It creates too much controversy allowing any pose. If she wants racy photos out here then she should go pose for playboy magazine or anyone of the many racy websites. Oh and by the way to her mother, REALLY shame on you for allowing your 18 yr old take such racy photos!!!
Posted by: Tanya Brummett | February 11, 2012, 11:13 am 11:13 am
The mother’s quote says it all. Her daughter wants to be famous, and this was an easy way to go about it. The first picture was inappropriate, but she didn’t care. This is a yearbook, not a modeling shoot. The outfit and the pose are equally to blame. Since we didn’t see the second picture, I’m assuming that no one else dressed in a strapless dress, and the picture would stand out (which is what she wanted). It’s her own fault she missed the deadline for the last picture.
I don’t condone bullying, but this girl knew what she was doing, and the other students have a right to be upset at the negative publicity.
Posted by: pamb | February 11, 2012, 12:30 pm 12:30 pm
Give me a break! This is not about a girl who is using promiscuity to gain fame. This isn’t about the girl herself even. This is about freedom of expression, bullies being allowed to pick on someone that they have led people believe deserved it (this doesn’t make her a bad, sleazy person), and the right for parents to raise their children how they believe is right. Her parents promote responsibility by allowing her to make her own decisions (with guidance from her parents) which also instills respect in her for her parents. This girl also has the right to stand up for what she believes in but people here are saying she’s basically being a disgrace by speaking out and not agreeing with them. Finally, remember that the way you ill wishers feel about her os likely how some people feel about you and it may even be because of a quality that you yourself adore.
Posted by: Emily | February 11, 2012, 5:15 pm 5:15 pm
If it’s not appropriate to wear in school then it’s not appropriate for the year book.
Posted by: heather | February 12, 2012, 12:57 am 12:57 am
Sydney is a very attractive young lady. I think that all of the negative comments about her photos are rooted in jealousy.
Posted by: Ron | February 14, 2012, 6:59 pm 6:59 pm
“Sydney feels very bullied, by the entire school, basically,” Spies, 44, told Westword. “The school has been awful and the kids have been awful. She’s received very little support in any way from anybody.”
Somtimes most of the people are right. Take a hint. You want publicity? – Go out and marry a middle aged actor!
Posted by: Mike | February 24, 2012, 11:26 am 11:26 am
As a mother of two daughter already graduated and several nieces who all have many female friends I see nothing wrong with the picture. Back in my day yearbooks only had the photos of the seniors dressed in the transitional drapes. Now a Days I have seen many yearbooks that not only put in the traditional senior photo but, a photo representing the senior as the every day person they are or aspire to be what they major in or their favorite subject or sport. I have seen photos with girls dressed in real skimpy cheerleader skirts that are way shorter that this girls or dance team outfits with tons more makeup than this girl is wearing. One of my daughters best friend just happens to be a large chested young girl and one of her yearbook pictures she was wearing her spaghetti strap prom gown and laying on her partially on her stomach and side with her head on her arms and a big beautiful smile on this young lady’s face. As you look at the photo one focuses on her beautiful face and can feel the girl has a wonderful personality and they don’t realize that because she is do big chested that her boobs sort of appear to make her what miss Sydney Spies school would have thought too racy.
I would have agreed Miss Spies school if that is the kind of girl Sydney was all during her school years (you know a tramp and stuff) but, if she has been a model student and she is a dancer and aspiring Model I see no problem with the photo. Good Lord she was even in the Yearbook class and dropped out because of this.
If the school did not like the picture they could have tried to come to an agreement with Miss Spies and maybe left the picture but just asked if they could photo shop a little more clothing to cover more of her chest maybe. But I think she is a lovely young lady and in 30 years or so will be able to look back at her photo and see how much she has changed and how far she has come since that photo shoot. I think the school should have at least come to some kind of compromise with her in regards to her first or second picture not leave her out of the yearbook.
Posted by: J.E.D. | May 19, 2012, 10:23 am 10:23 am