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Student uploads 'selfie' with dead body

A US high school student faces disciplinary action after uploading a photo with a dead body to Instagram during a school excursion.

The unnamed senior at Clements High School, Alabama, used her mobile phone to take a photo of herself with a dead body that was donated to the University of Alabama's biology department.

She then uploaded the selfie to Instagram.

According to WHNT News 19, sheets are not supposed to be removed from dead bodies and mobile phones are strictly prohibited from the tour.


The selfie posted to the student's Instagram account. Photo: WHNT News 19.
The selfie posted to the student's Instagram account. Photo: WHNT News 19.

The offending post was removed from the student's Instagram account, but not before a screenshot was taken and school officials were alerted.

“We were notified via email this morning from a parent that this incident had occurred,” said Karen Tucker, the Limestone County School Board Director of Public Relations and Technology.

“We are speaking to the University of Alabama Birmingham, they are understandably upset with this incident and we want to preserve our relationship with the university,” said Tucker.

“Therefore we are speaking to them and wanting to know how we can mend this process and keep our relationship with them, and we are in the process of deciding on the discipline that will occur.”

The University of Alabama at Birmingham released this statement:

"Tours of our facilities to introduce students - primarily high school seniors - to the teaching and research we do, play an important role in educating future scientists and doctors."

"Our policies require discretion and respect in our human anatomy facilities. No phones are allowed, no photos are to be taken, and faces of cadavers are covered. A student was made explicitly aware of these policies and breached them. This kind of disrespect is unacceptable and very disappointing. We will review our processes to ensure this does not happen again."

Should the student face disciplinary action? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.