School Board to Look at Body Building Competition Decision

The Board of Education will look into the superintendent's decision to bar a body building competition from being held at when the board meets later this month, the board president said.

School Board President Ed Gililland said that the and the policy behind that decision will be discussed during a board meeting on Oct. 26.

"I think there's some legitimate questions being asked so we're going to look at that," Gililland said.

The promoter of the West Coast Classic Bodybuilding and Figure said his company was told by Superintendent Linda Wagner that they couldn't hold the competition over the 2012 summer break at MHS because she didn't want the school associated with "scantily clad women."

owner and competitive body builder Brian Whelan said he was disappointed in the superintendent's decision because the event could have brought in thousands of dollars to the school's booster club.

Gililland said he reviewed the web site for the competition and found it to have "pretty good guidelines in place." Gililland said that Wagner's objection to the portion of the contest that includes bikinis will be reconsidered.

"Some people don't like that much skin, that's not to say it's right or wrong," Gililland said. "That's the issue--when you have one segment of the competition that's a bikini contest, and does that fit within the policy? As Dr. Wagner looked at that, obviously she didn't feel that was within the guidelines of policy of what's acceptable at the high school."

Wagner could not be reached for comment on this story.

Gililland said that the decision to reject the competition is not final at this point.

"I don't think it's ruled out completely," Gililland said. "I think the board will take a serious look at it with the superintendent. Is the answer going to continue to be 'no'? I can't say right now."