Yearbook Recalled Over Finger-Bang Photo

A California high school yearbook is being recalled after officials discovered a photo that may depict a teenager fingering his date. Let the hand-wringing commence.

It’s pretty funny to watch the AP try to report this story. Here’s their staid description of the Big Bear High School scandal: “The background of a school dance photo shows a 17-year-old boy’s hand inside the clothing of a 15-year-old girl in a way that suggests sexual penetration.” They also quote sheriff’s spokeswoman Cynthia Bachman: “You know, how you look at a photo and don’t notice what’s in the background? Then, it’s, ‘Oh my gosh, look what’s going on back there.'” Oh, I know. In fact, I’m not sure anybody graduates from high school without getting their yearbook impounded — although, to be fair, most often the offending fingers are flipping somebody off.

Authorities are apparently telling kids they need to return their yearbooks or face child porn charges, which seems pretty extreme. The kids in the photo may well be embarrassed, and for their sakes it certainly seems kind to collect as many of the yearbooks as possible (although they maybe should have thought about this before groping at the dance — don’t they know that’s what that area behind the band room is for?). And obviously if the contact was nonconsensual, there are bigger problems here. But there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of that. Right now all we have is an unintentional public record of some teenage finger-banging — excuse me, “sexual penetration.” And while that’s unfortunate for those involved, it hardly seems like something to threaten felony charges over.