Bob CollinsThere’ll be no more “Big Boobie,” “Big Booty,” or “String Bean” awards at the annual banquet for the Kenosha, Wis., cheerleaders, the New York Times says.
The awards for biggest breast, biggest rear end, and thinnest body were handed out at last spring’s award before the American Civil Liberties Union sent a formal letter to Tremper High School today warning that it might sue for sexual harassment.
Tremper coaches insist it’s “good-natured teasing,” but it appalled a number of parents and teammates.
And despite the ACLU’s warnings, the coaches have continued to make inappropriate comments to the girls.
“It’s so important that we intervene at a young age and girls are taught their worth and are treated equally,” said Emma Roth, of the ACLU. “When that doesn’t happen, they carry this message for the rest of their life.”
A district spokesperson tells the Times that “a clear expectation has been set that awards of this nature are not acceptable and are not to be given at Tremper cheerleading banquets going forward.”
Beyond that, however, the district won’t comment on any discipline because of privacy concerns.
“I looked around and thought, ‘Did that just happen?’ If my daughter would have won one of those awards, I would’ve absolutely been rushing the stage. It was just so wrong, in so many ways,” one mother told the Times. But she, and others, didn’t want their names used for fear the coaches would take it out on their kids.
“We understand that we are in a politically correct world these days, but we do like to have fun and keep thing on the lighter side,” the coach, a woman, wrote to the principal in emails obtained by the newspaper, sparked by a complaint against the awards by the school’s male track coach.
This year’s banquet will be held next month.
Only coaches and cheerleaders — no parents — are being allowed to attend.
