Missouri Teen Kicked Out Of Class For Being Busty

A Missouri high school student said her teacher told her she was too busty and made her leave class for an alleged dress code violation, the teen’s attorney said in a Tuesday statement.

Joplin High School student Kelsey Anderson was kicked out of class Friday after her teacher told her “plus-sized women need to dress accordingly.” The teacher told the 17-year-old that “smaller busted women could get away with more than larger busted women,” said Anderson's attorney Elizabeth Turner.

She was later deemed not in violation of the school's dress code.

“I was mortified by my teacher, of all people, saying something like this in front of my class,” Anderson said in a statement. “When I was pulled into a meeting with the principal, he told me that he had never heard of me being victimized before and he didn’t really believe what I said.”

Anderson was wearing a long-sleeved burgundy shirt and jeans with ripped knees. Her mother, Melissa Barber, posted a Facebook photo of her daughter’s outfit Friday. She added a lengthy caption explaining her thoughts on the incident. The photo has since gone viral.

“I received a call from the school about my daughter being sent to the office for a dress code violation. I was told that the teacher was being unreasonable and obviously made a mistake,” Barber wrote.

She then detailed her meeting with a female counselor and a male principal at the school, explaining that the principal defended the teacher. Barber told them that her daughter was sexualized in front of the whole class.

“She was embarrassed and horrified. She requested to be removed from the teachers class. He said no,” she continued in her post. “I took my daughter by the hand and we left. This whole time she was missing out on an education while we were all sitting in a room discussing her boobs. How often does this happen to your sons?”

The Joplin school district released a statement to say the administration was investigating the incident to determine if there had been any wrongdoing.

“The District does not consider comments by staff members about students' bodies appropriate,” the statement said. “Our staff conduct policy requires all staff members to maintain courteous and professional relationships with students.”

According to Joplin High School Principal Brandon Eggleston, the school has tried to more rigorously enforce dress codes that have been in place for years, reported the Joplin Globe. He explained that a “sweeps” system was implemented this school year. The administration chooses random days for teachers to look for students dressed in a way that possibly violates dress codes. After being sent to the cafeteria, principals and officials examine their clothing. If their clothing is deemed appropriate, students are sent back to class. If not, they must change their attire or receive an in-school suspension.

“The dress code has been a big issue here. After we have paid a little bit more attention to it, there is not a big issue with the dress code right now,” Eggleston said to the Joplin Globe. “What gender the person is doesn’t play a role in who gets sent to the office.”

After Joplin High School refused to move Anderson to another class, Barber began the process of taking legal action, hiring an attorney who said a complaint against the school could possibly be filed.

"It doesn’t have to do with money,” Turner said. "It has to do with no other girls going through this."