Press complaint partially upheld over claims  school ‘body shamed’ female students

The Press Ombudsman has partially upheld a complaint against a regional newspaper over a story alleging that a Carlow secondary school had requested female students not to wear tight clothes that would distract teaching staff. File picture: michaelorourkephotography.ie

The Press Ombudsman has partially upheld a complaint against a regional newspaper over a story alleging that a Carlow secondary school had requested female students not to wear tight clothes that would distract teaching staff.

The principal and secretary to the board of management of Presentation College Carlow, Ray Murray, took a complaint against the Nationalist newspaper to the Press Ombudsman over an article published last November which raised concern over claims that female students had been requested not to wear tight clothes to school.

The front-page article was titled “Anger at ‘body shaming’ of girls in Carlow school” and carried a sub-heading “Teenage girls told not to wear tight clothing as it made teachers ‘uncomfortable’”. 

Parts of the article were subsequently published by the Irish Examiner.

The school principal wrote to the newspaper editor highlighting that the story was “significantly inaccurate” and requesting that it be retracted.

The newspaper, part of the Irish Times Group, responded to say it stood by the story which came to its attention through an online petition and interviews with parents and pupils.

Offered right of reply

The editor said repeated attempts to contact the school for comment prior to publication had proven unsuccessful and offered the school principal a right of reply by way of an interview or a meeting to discuss the matter.

Mr Murray, however, declined the offer and made a complaint to the Press Ombudsman over the sub-heading in the article which he said was “was completely untrue” as well as the publication of comment, rumour and unconfirmed reports as facts.

He claimed the story breached several principles of the press code of practice, namely truth and accuracy, distinguishing fact and comment, and respect for rights.

The school said the article was based on a single post on social media and that all parents except one had been satisfied with the school’s clarification as to what had been said to students.

Denied breach of press code

The Nationalist denied any breach of the press code and said it did not accept that the article was untrue or inaccurate.

It also said that it was never the newspaper’s intention to cause “anyone upset or distress” and that the complaint may not have arisen if the school had responded to requests for comment.

On assessing the matter, the Press Ombudsman partially upheld the complaint.

The ombudsman ruled the newspaper breached principles on truth and accuracy and distinguishing fact and comment but did not uphold the claim that the paper did not respect the rights of the school.

A subsequent appeal of the decision by the newspaper was dismissed by the Press Council.