ACLU raises body-shaming concerns over 'Big Boobie,' 'Big Booty' cheer awards at Wisconsin HS
A Wisconsin high school is feeling the heat from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for complaints of “pervasive” gender discrimination that includes objectifying awards given at the annual cheerleading banquet.
The organization published a demand letter Tuesday asking the Kenosha Unified School District to take “prompt corrective action” regarding the culture at Tremper High School. The letter and a report by The New York Times details complaints from teachers, parents and students stemming from the “Big Boobie,” “Big Booty” and “String Bean” awards given out at public banquets for cheerleaders.
Tremper cheer gives out objectifying awards
High school teams gather at the end of each sports season with family, administrators, friends and sometimes small-town media for banquets that feature superlative awards. Typically these are “Most Improved,” “MVP” and “Best Teammate” type awards.
At Tremper, a school approximately 40 miles south of Milwaukee, cheer coaches also gave out “Big Booty,” “Big Boobie” and “String Bean” awards in 2017 and 2018. Per the ACLU, coaches spoke at previous banquets about the girls’ vaginas and gave out a blonde wig to a “ditzy girl.” The ACLU supported its claims to the district with photos, memos and document obtained through open records requests.
From The New York Times report, also released Tuesday:
There was the Big Boobie award for the girl with the biggest breasts. The coach giving the award, according to several parents among the 100 people in attendance, made a joke that the girl risked a concussion when she ran because of her “enormous boobs.” There was a Big Booty award for another girl. In a video from the event, held at a local catering hall, the coach presenting the award said: “We love her butt. Everybody loves her butt.”
And the ACLU demand letter:
A parent reported that the coaches “laughed hysterically” when handing the Big Boobie award to its recipient and made comments on the microphone about “what a feat” it was that this student could maneuver through cheer routines with her “enormous boobs.”
Coaches, parents, students step forward
Multiple people, many who asked to be anonymous, stepped forward to administration and later the ACLU to voice concern over the awards, handed out by coach Patti Uttech.
Track coach Patti Hupp wrote to the principal, telling Steve Knecht she felt she must speak up “for the protection of these girls” and it didn’t take “much to see that this is extremely degrading to women,” per NYT.
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One cheerleader told the Times:
“When the girl went up to accept the Big Boobie award, what do you think everyone in the room was looking at? I would’ve died.”
And a parent said if it were her daughter, she would have “been rushing the stage.”
The most jarring quote comes from a current cheerleader who agreed to be interviewed by the Times, and gets at why the ACLU is getting involved and alleging violation of Title IX.
A current cheerleader said in an interview that the girls went along with the jokes because, “What else were they supposed to do?”
Sexualizing female athletes
Athletes rely on certain body attributes to be successful at different activities. That’s true of boys and girls. Yet it is girls in athletics who face constant sexualization and objectification of their bodies.
Tremper is the reigning state cheer champion in the small division. (The 2019 state competition is in March.) They perform handstands, flips, lifts and spin in the air, so yes, as Uttech told the principal in a meeting, they do always have butts and body parts in their faces and around them in general. But so do those in other sports — wrestling, tackling in football, boxing out in basketball — but they’re (rightly so) never objectified in such a public way for the attributes they’ve built, or even attributes they’ve put up with.
2018 STATE CHAMPS!! pic.twitter.com/dNpbX6Gf9Y
— Tremper Cheer (@TremperCheerlea) March 4, 2018
In the last eight months alone, cheerleaders with the Washington Redskins have alleged mistreatment, at least six with the Houston Texans have filed a class-action suit alleging belittling and body shaming, and one with the Dallas Cowboys has sued over pay discrepancies.
That those in power treat high school age girls with proper respect, i.e. avoiding body shaming, is even more important. Adolescence is a crucial time in developing a body image, positive or negative, and social media is already putting increased pressure on what girls “should” look like. Their high school experiences, especially from those in power, stick with them forever.
Lisa Damour, clinical psychologist and author of “Untangled,” told the New York Times:
“It skywrites that the person giving out the award is objectifying the teenage girl’s body, and isn’t seeing her as a whole person or an athlete but someone to be measured and rated based on appearance,” she said. “When we talk about how girls look, we’re not talking about what girls can do.”
A “Big Booty” award puts focus on a girls’ butt and not what she can do with that strength. The better option: “Best Base” award for her work holding a teammate on her shoulders while cheering.
For “String Bean,” there’s “Best flyer” for her ability to soar into the air and trust her teammates will catch her.
Those are easy changes.
ACLU threatens lawsuit
The ACLU demanded action and asked for a response to its letter by March 1. It also detailed allegations regarding the health curriculum, alleging the district’s Bradford High School is teaching students women are at fault when they are raped.
If there are no “appropriate” disciplinary actions and policies to safeguard the cheerleaders, the ACLU told the New York Times it will “consider all options,” including filing a lawsuit. While specifically targeting Tremper, it also puts every other cheer program from youth to adult on notice that these issues will not be overlooked.
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