Teen Mom’s Photo Banned From Yearbook Because Pictures Of Babies Make Babies Happen

A North Carolina high school invited seniors to bring “props” that best represented themselves to pose with on senior picture day. One of the seniors, 17-year-old Caitlin Tiller, brought her infant son. School administrators freaked and started screaming, That’s not what we meant! Okay, they didn’t scream that – but they were so pissed at themselves for forgetting to include an “except a baby” clause to their prop invitation that they pulled her photo.

Two days before the yearbook was printed, Tiller was informed that her picture was being pulled because it “promoted teen pregnancy.” I don’t know about you, but when I was in high school the last thing I was fantasizing about was being tied down to an infant. If pictures of babies made teenagers pregnant – well, I can’t even finish that thought because it is so ridiculous. Pictures of teenagers holding babies don’t promote teen pregnancy. Why are we always so quick to believe that sheltering our kids from certain realities is beneficial?

From Fox Affiliate WGHP:

Tiller says since the birth of her son in April of 2012, she’s worked harder in school and graduated early. She started college in January and works more than 30 hours a week at a part-time job all while also being teenage mom. Tiller says she gets a lot of support from her family and Leelin’s father.

”He has helped me achieve my goal to graduate high school and go forward with my dreams,” she said.

Students chose everything from “baseballs, band instruments to family pets.” School officials refused to comment on the exact reason that the picture was pulled but said “the yearbook should be all about the student not an extension of their family.” So you can bring your dog, but not something that you actually birthed and are responsibly taking care of. Okay.

Teenage pregnancy is obviously a huge problem in this country, but it’s one that is solved with birth control and education – not shaming someone who has gone through the ordeal and is trying to be a responsible mother. She had every right to pose with her child. Covering up the fact that teen pregnancy exists does nothing to make it more rare.

(photo: Evgeny Atamanenko/ Shutterstock)