Like most teenagers, 17-year-old Hannah Talbert loves taking selfies and posting them on social media. But she never thought her pregnancy photos would be thrown into the center of a much-heated national controversy.
Last year, Talbert — who attends Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, Virginia — gave birth to her son. While she was still pregnant, she posted a few photos on Instagram as she stood in front of a mirror and proudly showed off her growing belly. Anderson Bonilla, editor of the Surveyor (the school's annual yearbook) found these photos on Talber's Instagram page. He decided to forgo the often staged and glamorized yearbook shots in favor of something more real and authentic. "We wanted to do more diversity in the yearbook instead of the classic 'homecoming' stories," Bonilla told ABC News.
But when the principal caught wind of the decision, she stepped in and said Talbert's could not be used. Now, the debate is spreading across the country.
There are those who agree with the principal… "This photo shoot has no place in a high school yearbook."
And those who think the photos can be used to serve as a lesson to other teens… "I'm not saying this young girl should be applauded for having a baby at such a young age, but perhaps her story can be a 'teaching moment' for others. Maybe other girls in her same position will learn that yeah, life's hard, but you can make it. Teen pregnancy shouldn't be glamorized as you said, but maybe just maybe, one girl will see her story and think twice about what she's doing with her life."
Scroll down to see the photos and hear Hannah's side of the story…
[H/T: ABC News]
While searching for photos to include in the Mount Vernon High School yearbook, the editors came across the Instagram page of a 17-year-old student named Hannah Talbert. Hannah was pregnant, and she had posted selfies of her growing belly on social media. The editors asked Talbert if they could include these photos in a special segment of the yearbook, to which she agreed.
The editors wanted to show more diversity and highlight real issues faced by the student body.
But the principal said "no" to including Talbert's selfies. She claimed the teen would come to regret revealing her pregnant stomach in the yearbook. Hannah told ABC News, "I think it’s just skin and just a baby in there. I’m not trying to be provocative. I think it’s because I’m 17."
As the debate grew more and more heated, Talbert's mom, Tracy, came to her daughter's defense. "Hannah was looking at it as a way to share her story with other teen moms who might find themselves in the same circumstance and to just show them that they're not alone," she says. "That they can still be successful and continue their education and they don't have to drop out of school."
In light of the public debate, the principal is now saying the photos can be included in the yearbook — as long as students and their families provide written permission.
There are people on both sides of the argument. What do you think?
Today, Talbert is a proud mom who is lucky enough to be supported by her family. All the while, she continues to go to school and even carries a full course load.
She's currently studying to become a pediatric surgeon.
Are pregnancy selfies appropriate for a high school yearbook? Let us know what you think, and please SHARE this with your friends on Facebook!
