Ah, high school, rife with awkward growth, social situations, and trying to just make it to college so you can party somewhere other than a field or at a parent’s house. A high school in Issaquah, Washington has taken the awkwardness to a whole other level, by none other than rating the hotness of their female peers. In an online tournament called ‘May Madness’. The high school females are pitted against one another, and the boys vote on who’s the sexiest.
According to a local news affiliate, the tournament has become a tradition in the last five years, and there’s nothing the local school district can do to shut it down.
According to the local school district, they’re powerless to do anything beyond discouraging the tournament since the contest doesn’t take place on school grounds. The police have gotten involved in the past, able to shut the site down temporarily due to vulgar and profane comments attached to people’s names, but were only able to do so much. Many parents, students, and community members have spoken out against the contest, claiming it sexualizes young girls, leading to self-esteem issues.
Sarah Niegowski, the district’s spokesperson, said this about the people running the website, “These are pretty smart folks behind this. They know their first amendment rights. They’re very quiet about who it is and the group behind it”
There is a May Madness Facebook page, however, there are only photos of the boys attending the school. According to those who have been tracking the contest, the people running it have done a good job in keeping outsiders from accessing it.