Hot tub shot too much for Cheney High yearbook

When does individual expression cross the line?

At Cheney High School, that line involves pink eyeglass frames, a hot tub and a V-neck shirt.

Cheney High senior Michael Ferguson, 18, knew his preferred yearbook photo was different. In it, he’s sitting fully clothed, yet soaking wet, in a bubbling hot tub. But he was surprised when the school’s yearbook committee deemed it inappropriate and asked for another photo.

“I’m a different kind of student and my photo reflects that,” Ferguson said. “It shows my humor. I feel like the photo represents me well.”

Cheney High School Principal Troy Heuett said the school’s yearbook committee rejected a few photos this year, but Ferguson was the only student who fought the decision.

Heuett looks at all the photos together with yearbook adviser Leah Silvieus and the yearbook committee, which is made up of students.

“We red-flag photos we find iffy and send them to review by a group,” Heuett said. Seven of the eight members of that group found Ferguson’s photo inappropriate for the yearbook. Their reasons varied from the photo being too suggestive to violating the school’s rule prohibiting props.

Ferguson, who is captain of the wrestling team and a DECA member, is wearing pink, lensless glasses in the photo, something he says he’s done as his “trademark” for years.

“Another issue is that he’s wet,” Heuett said. “And another is that it looks like he’s pulling down his shirt.”

Ferguson said he was just wearing a V-neck T-shirt.

Arguments over yearbook photos are nothing new.

A few years ago, Lewis and Clark High School accepted a photo of a student wearing a gorilla suit, sans mask.

Michael Lee has been yearbook adviser at Lewis and Clark for 10 years but can recall rejecting only a few photos.

“Basically, if I wouldn’t allow you to sit like that in class then it’s not appropriate for the yearbook,” Lee said. “There are a lot of ironic photos, funny and silly photos.”

Most schools say no to more than one person in the photo.

“We want the focus to be on the student,” said Richard Bech, yearbook adviser at Rogers High School. This also means teenage parents can’t hold their children in the photos.

Some students submit photos where they are holding legal weapons – like hunting rifles or handguns for target shooting – but many schools reject those, too, just like clothing with alcohol logos.

“We say no to guns because we are a gun-free zone and no to Jack Daniel’s T-shirts because we are an alcohol-free zone,” said Carol Preston, yearbook adviser at West Valley High School.

“As long as you follow school rules we don’t have a problem.”

Heuett said yearbooks stay around forever, and that’s one reason photos should be selected carefully.

Ferguson submitted a new photo Friday.

“I love my high school,” Ferguson said. “I’d never be in the yearbook in a way that’s inappropriate.”