Wisconsin high school ends cheerleading awards based on body shapes, sizes

A Wisconsin high school is ending its annual cheerleading awards for girls based on their body shapes and sizes following several complaints from parents and a former coach.

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that coaches at Tremper High School in the Kenosha Unified School District gave awards like “Big Booty,” ″Big Boobie” and “String Bean” to cheerleaders.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin said emails and other documents it obtained during a yearlong investigation showed the awards were handed out for at least five years at a banquet attended by about 100 people, according to the AP.

{mosads}“I’m disgusted with the cheer coaches and with the Kenosha parents that sat there and said and did nothing,” former track coach Patti Hupp told the Kenosha News. Hupp emailed Tremper High principal Steve Knecht last year to raise concerns about the awards.

Hupp also emailed a cheerleading coach, Patti Uttech, about the practice last year.

“The last thing these high school girls need is a fellow woman in their lives communicating to them that they are objects or that their appearance is something to be gawked at, demeaned, laughed at, or even awarded for that matter,” Hupp said in the email.