A group of Bethesda, Maryland, high school students were disciplined for creating and circulating a list on social media in which they ranked their female classmates based on their physical appearance, school officials say.
Several male students at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School targeted 18 seniors by distributing a list with their first names and a rating beside each one, according to the school.
"This incident has been very upsetting for students, staff and families. B-CC High School has no tolerance for bullying. Our school strives to create a sense of belonging and respect for all students. This incident does not reflect those values," Principal Donna Jones said in a letter to students and parents on March 9.
The students involved in the ranking list were disciplined based on the school system's code of conduct, Jones said.
Jones did not say how many were involved or what their punishment was.
"I think, honestly, the consensus was that it wasn't an OK think at all and all the girls, they kind of banded together and took it on as a team because it was really hurtful to a lot of people," one female student told News4.
Jones said in the letter the school held meetings for the students directly affected to discuss how it has impacted them. There are ongoing discussions about how to empower students who are bullied and encourage people to speak out against it.
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"Be good humans and see what your actions can do to others because it definitely tore a lot of girls down," another female student told News4.
