Panty Check At School Dance Sparks Uproar
Vice Principal Lifted Girls' Skirts In Crackdown On Thongs
POSTED: 10:47 p.m. PDT April 30, 2002
UPDATED: 11:57 a.m. PDT May 1, 2002
SAN DIEGO -- A Rancho Bernardo High School administrator is under pressure to resign after lifting girls' skirts to make sure they weren't wearing thong underwear at a dance.
Teenagers headed to an informal dance at Rancho Bernardo High School last Friday night claim they weren't greeted with the sounds of their favorite tunes, but instead a personal interrogation.
"When we were first getting in, they asked all of us what kind of underwear we were wearing," Ranch Bernardo High student Tiffany Chappell said. "When we were walking in, the lady lifted up our skirt to make sure, even without our permission."
Students say Vice Principal Rita Wilson checked young women's undergarments while their peers looked on, and those who were wearing thongs (pictured left) were sent home to change into more appropriate underwear. She was apparently trying to keep girls from exposing themselves, which has happened in the past, but most students said her actions went too far.
"I was just shocked because that's my own personal business," Rancho Bernardo High student Emma Schoppe said. "The vice principal is supposed to be there to help you, but when she's violating her authority then that's kind of questionable."
Angry parents are now calling for Wilson to resign and say if she doesn't, they plan to file a lawsuit against the district for a violation of their daughter's civil rights. Wilson's boss, the principal, says the incident is under investigation, and several parents are involved. Parents and students argued there is nothing in the school dress code about thong underwear.
Students say Vice Principal Rita Wilson checked young women's undergarments while their peers looked on, and those who were wearing thongs (pictured left) were sent home to change into more appropriate underwear. She was apparently trying to keep girls from exposing themselves, which has happened in the past, but most students said her actions went too far.
"I was just shocked because that's my own personal business," Rancho Bernardo High student Emma Schoppe said. "The vice principal is supposed to be there to help you, but when she's violating her authority then that's kind of questionable."
Angry parents are now calling for Wilson to resign and say if she doesn't, they plan to file a lawsuit against the district for a violation of their daughter's civil rights. Wilson's boss, the principal, says the incident is under investigation, and several parents are involved. Parents and students argued there is nothing in the school dress code about thong underwear.Copyright 2002 by NBCSandiego.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.







