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Some Indian Land parents are angry about a flier sent home with students at Indian Land Elementary that encourages them to participate in a beauty pageant where the winners would be judged on their “facial beauty,” among other criteria.
The winners will “represent their school all year long during school events,” according to the flier.
The flier said the Warrior king and queen would be judged on their “facial beauty, sparkling personality, and overall appeal,” and there would be extra prizes for “best smile, best hair and best eyes.”
David and Jessica Dodson started a Facebook page to protest the competition. The page features an image of “Honey Boo Boo,” the 7-year-old television star who loves a tiara and proudly says “I’m a superstar because I do pageants!”
“That they would base the criteria of choosing the Indian Land king and queen on facial beauty … was horrific and a little bit revolting,” Jessica Dodson told NBC Charlotte, the Observer’s news partner.
They weren’t alone in their anger. Other parents quickly posted on the Facebook page.
Dodson said her daughter came home crying because she didn’t think she was going to be beautiful enough to enter, let alone win, the contest.
A spokeswoman for the school refused to give her name but said the principal was aware the flier had gone out and pointed out the school did not sponsor the pageant.
One of the organizers said the pageant was intended to raise funds to buy a piece of playground equipment, according to WBTV.
Hours after the Facebook page was created, the principal sent an email saying the pageant, which had been scheduled for Oct. 20, had been cancelled. NBC Charlotte was told the decision was made because the principal was inundated with angry emails.
Jessica Dodson, a mother of five, said she is not against pageants.
“If you want to do that, that’s fine,” she said. “I just don’t think that facial beauty is something that should be criteria to be a school mascot, basically.”
Some parents told NBC Charlotte they’re angry the pageant was cancelled and are working on a petition to bring it back.
