A woman is being shamed and praised on the internet for how she dresses at work because she has curves.
Patrice Brown, an elementary school paraprofessional in Atlanta, was deemed #TeacherBae on social media after pictures of her work outfits started being shared widely. She deleted the original picture where she wore a knee-length dress, that had a high neckline, with heels in a classroom but not before people on the internet captured it.
On her Instagram account, like most others on the social media site, the teacher posts pictures and videos of her daily activities -- work, school and play. She has since made her Instagram account private.
T H R I V E 💛 pic.twitter.com/m6Eq7St6dX
— Paris Monroe (@triceyl__) September 11, 2016
Tuesday morning she posted a video saying today would be a great day. But, the focus of conversation on the internet hasn't been on her messages or teaching.
Some are criticizing her for the form fitting outfits calling them "inappropriate" for the classroom.
One tweet read, "Little boys are pervs by like 2nd grade." Another said "DEFINITELY inappropriate if you're a teacher!!"
That teacher looks good af but her attire is just inappropriate to be teaching a 4th grade glass. Little boys are pervs by like 2nd grade
— au bree dhabi (@breeNaughtyy) September 12, 2016
DEFINITELY inappropriate if you're a teacher!! https://t.co/tVGbDD0kVC
— Nicquala (@QualaShields) September 12, 2016
Many are coming to her defense and calling out her critics for being too focused on her attire instead of the fact that she's a teacher.
One tweet read, "This black woman seems so happy & proud of teaching youth but y'all just had to sexualize the situation."
They Don't Want You To Look Good 😍🔥😤 #teacherbae pic.twitter.com/h8JWHgSh0J
— #CaliBoyMarv💰 (@MarviMarv32) September 12, 2016
Funny how nobody posted this pic of #teacherbae. The one that matters. You guys are only focusing on the negative. pic.twitter.com/i35y6hpbL7
— NUFF$AID (@nuffsaidNY) September 12, 2016
This black woman seems so happy & proud of teaching youth but y'all just had to sexualize the situation #teacherbae pic.twitter.com/g6bJkRkhhA
— bby tupac. 🍥 (@FrankHoecean) September 12, 2016
11Alive reached out her on Twitter and she called the entire situation "overwhelming."
This type of critique about what a woman should and should not wear to work is not new. One Twitter user summed up the double standard when it comes to women with curves.
I bet y'all wouldn't have nothing to say if she was built like this #teacherbae pic.twitter.com/eNQibGwdK8
— Wave Bari (@stackztootrill) September 12, 2016
The Daily Dot's Jaya Saxena wrote about the double standard saying, "women have been not only judged, but outright punished because of this double standard."
Photos | #TeacherBae on Instagram
The Atlanta Public Schools shared their employee dress code with 11Alive. It lists examples of appropriate and inappropriate attire but leaves the determination of violations to the discretion of the administrators for each school.
APS confirmed that Brown was a paraprofessional employed with the district and that she has been "given guidance regarding the APS Employee Dress Code, the use of social media, and Georgia Code of Ethics for educators, and she has been cooperative in addressing her presence on social media."