Photo-shocked board P'burg school board upset over yearbook portrayals Wednesday, July 25, 2007 • By ANDREA EILENBERGER • The Express-Times PHILLIPSBURG | Whoever signed off on this year's Phillipsburg High School yearbook must have gone bananas, according to a town councilman and former school board member. The picture of the 2006-07 school board members and administrators shows the familiar faces, but places their heads on the bodies of monkeys. Councilman Jim Shelly wants school officials to investigate how something he sees as an obvious jab made its way into an otherwise professional yearbook. "It's totally disrespectful and inappropriate," Shelly said. Shelly served on the board for nine years and said he's never seen anything like it. He brought the book to Monday night's school board meeting. Spread across pages 96 and 97 is a tree with the monkeys perched on its limbs and the board members' faces superimposed. Superintendent Gordon Pethick's face is attached to the body of a gray Superman-like squirrel. Next to the tree, Assistant Superintendent Jacqueline Attinello's face smiles from the center of a daisy. Board member Christopher Wittman is the only board member who escaped the monkey business; his picture seems untouched. Wittman declined to comment on the issue Tuesday. The $85 book is more than 240 pages. Shelly questioned Monday night whether the past year's contract negotiations with teachers had something to do with the picture. Phillipsburg's Education Association President Barbara English, who was also at the meeting, disputed that idea. Pethick agreed, saying no matter what the issues, the staff remained professional. "There was absolutely no intent by students to portray any individual in a disrespectful manner," high school Principal Mary Jane Deutsch said. "Their intent was nothing but to include them in the theme of the section." Deutsch said it was meant to highlight students' creativity and technology skills. The initial plan was to print six pages that incorporated pictures of students and faculty with pictures of movie characters, like those of "The Fantastic Four," "Shrek" and "Austin Powers," she said. But at the last minute, those pictures were pulled because they weren't able to obtain their rights, she said. The yearbook is created in a class that is overseen by staff members, who review and approve the work. Deutsch feels the school board and administrators' pictures should have also been pulled but thinks they were overlooked in the editing process. "It just got by us," Deutsch said. "We're very sorry about it." School board President Paul Rummerfield said he tried to find the humor in the picture. Ultimately, he thinks it is offensive and shows a lack of judgment on the part of the staff members who approved the work. "I would hate to say it was done maliciously; I would hate to think that was the case," Rummerfield said. "But that photograph should not have gone out in a publication like that." This is the second year in a row a picture in the school's yearbook has caused controversy. Last year, a picture showing what may have been a small portion of a girl's underwear was cut out and replaced. With that in mind, staff members this year focused on scrutinizing every line of the book and looked for any kind of hidden messages that could have been taken from it, Deutsch said. No major changes were made regarding the yearbook's adviser or policies, she said. The monkey picture was simply overlooked, especially since the rest of the section was changed close to deadline. Pethick expects the issue will be discussed in a curriculum committee meeting and, if members recommend it be taken further, it could be forwarded to the full board. "My point was to bring attention to it and hopefully the administration will take a tough look at the individual who is responsible for it," Shelly said. Reporter Andrea Eilenberger can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at aeilenberger@express-times.com.