Teen Swimmer Disqualified Because Her School-issued Swimsuit Broke Modesty Rule

brg240

Well-Known Member
A high school swimmer in Alaska won her 100-meter freestyle heat on Friday, only to be disqualified as soon as she got out of the water. Her one-piece swimsuit broke the modesty rule, the referee announced.

The young girl, a 17-year-old state championship swimmer at Dimond High School in Anchorage, was wearing the school-issued swimsuit that every other girl on the team was wearing and yet she was the only one disqualified. A referee who was present at the swim meet told the Anchorage Daily News that the official who made the controversial call disqualified the girl because she could see “butt cheek touching butt cheek.”

The referee who made the controversial call has not been publicly named and HuffPost will not identify the high school swimmer who was disqualified, as she is a minor.

The disqualification quickly stirred controversy in the Anchorage community, with some pointing to the fact that the swimmer is nonwhite and “curvier” than most others on the team. Lauren Langford, a swim coach at a neighboring high school, was the first to make this point in a Saturday essay on Medium.


“All of these girls are all wearing suits that are cut the same way,” Langford told The Washington Post on Tuesday. “And the only girl who gets disqualified is a mixed-race girl with rounder, curvier features.”

Langford explained in her essay that the national standards for high school swimming and diving attire ― also referred to by some as the “modesty rule” ― require male and female athletes to cover their genitals, buttocks and breasts. But, as Langford pointed out, almost all swimmers’ suits move while they are competing ― known as a “suit wedgie.”

“Wedgies happen. It’s uncomfortable. No one’s going to walk around that way intentionally,” she told the Post.

The Anchorage School District announced on Monday that it has opened an investigation into the referee’s controversial disqualification call.

“ASD is reviewing the disqualification of a student athlete during the September 6 Dimond High School home swim meet,” the statement says. “We intend to gather all the facts surrounding the disqualification so we can accurately address the matter with officials and take appropriate action to ensure fair, equitable competition and consistent application of the rules for this athlete and her peers.”

The school district confirmed to local outlet KTUU on Monday that the suit the swimmer was wearing is in compliance with the district’s modesty rules. The girl has reportedly worn the same suit three other times this season and was not disqualified at any point.

The teen at the center of the controversy has two other sisters who are on the swim team. All three have reportedly experienced similar body-shaming in Anchorage’s swimming community. Langford wrote that parents of other swimmers on the team have been heard saying that “for the sake of their sons” the mother of the three swimmers should “cover up her daughters.”

Langford said that last year a parent on the team took a picture of the teen’s butt while she was wearing a swimsuit and emailed the photo to other parents to show that she was wearing inappropriate swimwear.

The mother of the teen told KTUU that she wants both of her daughters to be valued for their athleticism and determination in the pool ― not criticized for the shape and size of their bodies. She said she wants to see Friday’s disqualification overturned and that specific official kept away from her daughters.
 

Everything Zen

Well-Known Member
They couldn’t find anywhere else to live huh? I bet they thought they were special and I would wager that this is the tip of the iceberg of the racial aggressions that those girls and that family has endured.

Side eye to the ref for staring so much at an underage teen’s behind rather than focusing on the race. That’s mad pervy.
 
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itsallaboutattitude

Cancer Support in Health
Okay finally clicked on the link to see pics.

What ethnicity are they claiming? Is there a pic of the mom? I’m thinking they must look like the mom cause they look so much alike with different last names. :look:
 

dicapr

Well-Known Member
Unpopular opinion.

I actually don’t have an issue with the ruling. It applies to both boys and girls. Yes she is curvy but the coach and parents should have realized that the swimsuit was inappropriate before letting her compete. Your tail doesn’t have to be out just because you are curvy. Every body type doesn’t fit into everything. There should have been an allowance made for the young lady to have an appropriately fitting swimsuit rather than a rallying cry that she should be allowed to show her butt literally.

When I was a teen and wanted to run track my mom took one look at the shorts and let me know I wasn’t wearing them. Yes is was embarrassed to tell the coach I couldn’t wear the booty shorts but when I returned to school there were so many other girls whose parents put their foot down we only had to wear the uniform top. Out parents insisted on our right to be allowed to be dressed appropriately rather than fighting for us to have something that was ill fitting and inappropriate for a school function.

But then again there is less of a distinction between what you wear with your friends/off time and what is appropriate in work/school environments.
 

spacetygrss

Well-Known Member
"The guidelines state suits must "be worn in the appropriate size as dictated by that manufacturer’s specifications for the athlete’s body type and shall remain unaltered. Boys shall wear suits which cover the buttocks, and girls shall wear suits which cover the buttocks and breasts."

"Before these suits even get on an athlete's body, the cut of them isn't in compliance with the modesty rule," Langford said, demonstrating the angle v-shape on the backside of women's competitive suits sold by most manufacturers.

On Monday, the Anchorage School District confirmed the suit Willis was wearing was an approved suit considered to be in compliance with the rules, and that it had been used without incident at three prior meets this season.

Meagan Kowatch said the disqualification did not come until the main referee in charge Friday night had to leave halfway through the meet, putting a different referee in charge for the remainder of the evening.


The first thing that the referee did, according to Breckynn, was disqualify Willis. She also happened to be the same referee who had embarrassed the younger sibling last year, she said."

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I'm sorry, but she was wearing a school-issued, unaltered competitive swimsuit. Not booty shorts or anything else inappropriate.

I also peeped that the ref was a woman. I've always noticed that, in general, women tend to be harder on other girls and women. It's ridiculous.

That ref needs to be fired.
 

Reinventing21

Spreading my wings
@dicapr

I agree with you that these designs need to include more than one body type. However, penalizing a girl for wearing what she was supposed to wear at the time a competition has begun is not appropriate. The swim team adults/coaches failed the girl prior to the competition and should be looked to, not the girl.

In this case however, that coach looks like she has a personal problem ( stemming from jealousy and racism) and simply needs to be fired.
 

meka72

Well-Known Member
But isn’t it possible that neither her parents nor her coach thought that anything was inappropriate about the swimsuit, especially when the swimsuit met the standards?

My daughter is tall with very long legs. My best friend always thought my daughter’s shorts were too short when she was growing up. I didn’t. ETA: I just added this to note the subjectivity about what is/is not appropriate. I’m not at all questioning your parents judgment and hope that you didn’t take it that way.

Unpopular opinion.

I actually don’t have an issue with the ruling. It applies to both boys and girls. Yes she is curvy but the coach and parents should have realized that the swimsuit was inappropriate before letting her compete. Your tail doesn’t have to be out just because you are curvy. Every body type doesn’t fit into everything. There should have been an allowance made for the young lady to have an appropriately fitting swimsuit rather than a rallying cry that she should be allowed to show her butt literally.

When I was a teen and wanted to run track my mom took one look at the shorts and let me know I wasn’t wearing them. Yes is was embarrassed to tell the coach I couldn’t wear the booty shorts but when I returned to school there were so many other girls whose parents put their foot down we only had to wear the uniform top. Out parents insisted on our right to be allowed to be dressed appropriately rather than fighting for us to have something that was ill fitting and inappropriate for a school function.

But then again there is less of a distinction between what you wear with your friends/off time and what is appropriate in work/school environments.
 

dicapr

Well-Known Member
But isn’t it possible that neither her parents nor her coach thought that anything was inappropriate about the swimsuit, especially when the swimsuit met the standards?

My daughter is tall with very long legs. My best friend always thought my daughter’s shorts were too short when she was growing up. I didn’t. ETA: I just added this to note the subjectivity about what is/is not appropriate. I’m not at all questioning your parents judgment and hope that you didn’t take it that way.

The article says that the swimsuit never met the modesty standards but was school sanctioned. I put the blame on the school for sanctioning a swimsuit that didn’t meet the modesty rules because they felt the rules were outdated.

I think it was quite possible mom didn’t see anything wrong with the swimsuit. But I think the standards for school sanctioned events and a day at the beach with your friends are different.
 

B_Phlyy

Pineapple Eating Unicorn
^^^

@dicapr

And she was only disqualified after winning the race.

This part. As someone who played a water sport in HS, any deviations to a roster or dress code violations (i.e wearing inappropriate suits) are to be announced to the coaching staff PRIOR to the athlete entering the water. The fact that this girl was on the block , then swam at least 2 lengths of the pool, and was only disqualified after she won points to some tomfoolery.
 

dicapr

Well-Known Member
This part. As someone who played a water sport in HS, any deviations to a roster or dress code violations (i.e wearing inappropriate suits) are to be announced to the coaching staff PRIOR to the athlete entering the water. The fact that this girl was on the block , then swam at least 2 lengths of the pool, and was only disqualified after she won points to some tomfoolery.

The article also stated that there were 2 refs. They changed who was doing the judging mid stream so it’s not like she won and then she was disqualified purposely. I do think the ruling should be overturned because of the discrepancy but there were two separate people judging. And by the school’s own admission the entire team could/should have been disqualified.
 

Laela

Sidestepping the "lynch mob"
I'm not trying to be funny...but I don't understand how you don't see the bias concerning the referee that made that call. The article also didn't state why the first ref had to leave..but clearly the 2 ref who made the call already had it in for the girl:

Article extract:
On Monday, the Anchorage School District confirmed the suit Willis was wearing was an approved suit considered to be in compliance with the rules, and that it had been used without incident at three prior meets this season.

Meagan Kowatch said the disqualification did not come until the main referee in charge Friday night had to leave halfway through the meet, putting a different referee in charge for the remainder of the evening.

The first thing that the referee did, according to Breckynn, was disqualify Willis. She also happened to be the same referee who had embarrassed the younger sibling last year, she said.

Calls and emails to the referee who made the disqualification were not returned.



The article also stated that there were 2 refs. They changed who was doing the judging mid stream so it’s not like she won and then she was disqualified purposely. I do think the ruling should be overturned because of the discrepancy but there were two separate people judging. And by the school’s own admission the entire team could/should have been disqualified.
 

dicapr

Well-Known Member
I'm not trying to be funny...but I don't understand how you don't see the bias concerning the referee that made that call. The article also didn't state why the first ref had to leave..but clearly the 2 ref who made the call already had it in for the girl:

Article extract:
On Monday, the Anchorage School District confirmed the suit Willis was wearing was an approved suit considered to be in compliance with the rules, and that it had been used without incident at three prior meets this season.

Meagan Kowatch said the disqualification did not come until the main referee in charge Friday night had to leave halfway through the meet, putting a different referee in charge for the remainder of the evening.

The first thing that the referee did, according to Breckynn, was disqualify Willis. She also happened to be the same referee who had embarrassed the younger sibling last year, she said.

Calls and emails to the referee who made the disqualification were not returned.

I don’t see particular bias because some people will follow the rules no matter what. The shape of the young lady probably meant her rule breaking was more obvious than her teammates. It doesn’t mean she should get a free pass just because others were wrong too. The only issue I have with the ruling is that the disqualification came after the race which wasn’t fair and which was why it was overrule.
 

LivingInPeace

Well-Known Member
I'm sure most of y'all won't like this but anyway; Why is everyone okay with female athletes always being virtually naked, regardless of the sport? Of course, I understand swimmers in bathing suits. But I don't understand track athletes running in bras and panties. If it's about aerodynamics, why does it only apply to women?
 

B_Phlyy

Pineapple Eating Unicorn
The article also stated that there were 2 refs. They changed who was doing the judging mid stream so it’s not like she won and then she was disqualified purposely. I do think the ruling should be overturned because of the discrepancy but there were two separate people judging. And by the school’s own admission the entire team could/should have been disqualified.


No. Even if they changed refs, a previous refs objections, or in this case approval of attire, should have been noted and upheld. And this was a lap race, which means the new ref would have saw her before she got in the water. The objection should have been made then and the athlete is usually given the option to change or have their coach take them off the roster for the race.
 

dicapr

Well-Known Member
I'm sure most of y'all won't like this but anyway; Why is everyone okay with female athletes always being virtually naked, regardless of the sport? Of course, I understand swimmers in bathing suits. But I don't understand track athletes running in bras and panties. If it's about aerodynamics, why does it only apply to women?

We didn’t recognize the drag/friction that causes. Even professional female swimmers are wearing suits with leggings now.

Also society equates showing skin with being feminine. So overall women tend to show more skin then men.
 
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