Outrage as careers adviser tells students to consider stripping

THE headmaster of a San Francisco school may not invite a popular speaker back to an annual careers day after he advised girls they could earn a good living as strippers.

Management consultant William Fried told 13-year-olds at Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School that stripping and exotic dancing can pay $250,000 or more per year, depending on their bust size.

“It’s sick, but it’s true,” Mr Fried said later. “The truth of the matter is you can earn a tremendous amount of money as an exotic dancer, if that’s your desire.”

Mr Fried has given a presentation, The Secret of a Happy Life, at the school’s career day for the past three years.

He counsels students to experiment with a variety of interests until they discover something they love and excel in. But school principal Joseph Di Salvo said Mr Fried may not be back next year.

He said Mr Fried’s comments to the class came after some of them asked him to expand on why he included “exotic dancing” on his list of 140 potential careers.

According to Jason Garcia, 14, he told students: “For every two inches up there, you should get another $50,000 on your salary.”

“A couple of students egged him and he took it hook, line and sinker,” said Mr Di Salvo.

“It’s totally inappropriate,” Mr Di Salvo said.

“I would want my presenters to kind of understand that they are coming into a career day for eighth-graders.”

The stripping advice wasn’t the only thing that riled parents. Mr Di Salvo said one mother was outraged when her son announced that he was forgoing college for a field he loves: fishing.

Mr Fried, 64, said he did not think he offended any of the students: “Eighth-grade kids are not dumb,” he said. “They are pretty worldly.”