By Katy Savage, Standard Staff
The Vermont State Police is investigating several incidents involving the exchange of intimate photos between Woodstock Union High School students.
Woodstock Union High School Principal Garon Smail sent a letter to parents just before holiday vacation, warning them about the photos.
“My immediate concern is for the safety of our students and to ensure that these acts stop,” Smail said in the letter, dated Dec. 20. “I encourage you to speak with your children about this issue.”
Smail met with students the day before holiday vacation to discuss the sharing of photographs after students brought the issue to his attention.
Smail didn’t offer any more information in his letter.
Several students interviewed said nude photographs of current female students and recent graduates were collected by male students and reportedly offered in exchange for other images or items. It’s unclear how many female student photographs there were and how many males were involved. Students said as many as 25 female students’ photographs circulated. Students point the majority of the blame on one male student, who they said was the leader of the trades, though they said other male students were involved.
Students were surprised by who was involved, upset and “horrified” about their school environment.
Spruce Bohen, a senior at the school, said she was “disappointed and disgusted” when she heard about it two weeks ago from other students.
“(It’s) scary to know 20 of the boys I interact with every day in my school are involved in stuff like this and I had no idea,” she said.
Loretta Blakeney, a senior, overheard her classmates talking about the trading.
“I think that it’s disappointing that people feel the need to be involved in it and I think (it’s) disappointing that the guys who are the main people doing it — that they just have no respect for anybody,” said Blakeney.
Rosalie Geiger and Jenna Majeski, two senior high school students, met with their principal last Wednesday. They wanted to organize meetings between the upper and lowerclassmen to offer advice about navigating high school.
“It was one of those things that seemed a little too crazy at first,” said Geiger. “We were definitely concerned because we’ve never heard about anything like this happening before at Woodstock.”
Majeski said nude photographs of girls have circulated in the past, but never to this extent.
“I don’t condemn or disapprove of girls sending these photos, if that’s what they want to do, but they definitely have to be more aware of what could happen and understand the motives for guys asking for nudes,” said Majeski, who is also the school’s newspaper editor.
“I understand it may seem flattering for girls to be asked, but they do have to be aware of the legal and social implications of their actions.”
The Legislature passed a “revenge porn” law in 2015, which made sharing intimate photos of others illegal with a fine up to $2,000 and up to two years in prison. Sharing photos in attempt to make a profit is a felony, punishable with a fine up to $10,000 and up to five years in prison. Though in August, a judge deemed the bill unconstitutional on free speech grounds.
Trooper Matthew Sweitzer was alerted about the issue at the high school last Thursday. He confirmed the case is under investigation but wouldn’t share more as of Tuesday.
Windsor County Special Investigations Unit Deputy State’s Attorney Heidi Remick said her office became aware of the incident Dec. 22.
“My office has not yet received a case for prosecution, so I’m not prepared to say what charges, if any, may ultimately be appropriate,” she said.
Windsor County State’s Attorney David Cahill was on vacation. Vermont law was amended when Gov. Peter Shumlin signed a bill eliminating minors being charged as adults in most cases.
Smail said he’d address the entire student body about the incident after students return to school from holiday break.
Superintendent Alice Worth viewed this as a teaching moment.
“Students need to reflect on what prompted taking and subsequently posting photographs that exposed themselves in this way and to understand that any electronic posting can become public and therefore subject in ways they may regret,” Worth said in an email.
This article first appeared in the December 29, 2016 edition of the Vermont Standard.