Yearbook photo shows too much Tuesday, June 13, 2006 • By PRECIOUS PETTY AND EILEEN HOLLIDAY • The Express-Times School officials ripped out a page from hundreds of yearbooks Monday after a picture with a student's underwear slightly visible was published in the 2006 Phillipsburg High School yearbook. The picture -- one of eight photos in a collage from the fall drama on Page 224 -- shows a female student sitting at a desk wearing a skirt and a small portion of her underwear can be seen. The decision did not sit well with some seniors. "First of all, people paid for these. They belong to the students," said senior Katie Rockware. "They are expensive. It's like them saying 'Excuse me, can I just destroy your personal property.' I thought it was so ridiculous. It was such a little thing." On the other side of the page that was torn out, there are nine pictures from a pep rally. "I just thought it was crazy because people paid, like, $80 for these yearbooks," Rockware said. Senior Jon Gregory said students behaved maturely about the photograph. "In the end, it was definitely a decision that had to be made out of respect for her," Gregory said. "It's still a nice yearbook." Phillipsburg High School Principal Mary Jane Deutsch refused to comment on the matter, referring inquiries to Phillipsburg School District Superintendent H. Gordon Pethick. Pethick said he was aware of the yearbook photo controversy but was not aware of how it was resolved, and declined to comment further. Emily Deemer, a senior who worked on the yearbook staff, said the staff designs the pages, writes the text and takes the photos. "All pages are edited. Everything is looked over with a fine-tooth comb," Deemer said. "It was overlooked because it is not that bad of a picture." Deemer said she thinks it's uncalled for to have ripped out the yearbook page and it does a disservice to the students. "It's their property and their memories," Deemer said. Yearbook adviser Jennifer Schilling could not be reached for comment Monday night. © 2006 The Express-Times. Used with permission.