Greenburgh Central Teacher's Aide Disciplined for Topless Role in Protest Film

Victoria Bolton, a 37-year-old actress, Air Force veteran and Greenburgh schools teacher’s aide, was reassigned and told to change her Facebook page privacy settings after district officials learned she appeared topless in the docudrama “Free the Nipple.”

The Journal News reports that Bolton recently was moved from Woodlands High School to the Greenburgh Central School District administrative offices, and she was sent a warning letter from Mary O’Neill, assistant superintendent.

“I caution you to either limit your acting roles to those that will not result in nudity that is openly accessible to students in our district or consider whether your district position is one you can maintain, given your acting career,” O’Neill wrote, as quoted by The Journal News. O’Neill did not immediately reply to a message from Patch seeking comment.

In the film, Bolton, who has worked for the district for 11 years, is one of a couple of dozen “topless warriors” who participate in demonstrations around Manhattan. She has a ski mask over her face for part of it.

The film is part of the Free the Nipple protest movement, and on its website, it is described as:

“...a film, an equality movement, and a mission to empower women across the world. We stand against female oppression and censorship, both in the United States and around the globe. Today, in the USA it is effectively ILLEGAL for a woman to be topless, breastfeeding included, in 35 states. In less tolerant places like Louisiana, an exposed nipple can take a woman to jail for up to three years and cost $2,500 in fines. Even in New York City, which legalized public toplessness in 1992, the NYPD continues to arrest women. We’re working to change these inequalities through film, social media, and a grassroots campaign.”

On her Facebook page, Bolton has a post that says “I am a woman, not a distraction,” and she adds the following quote, “Stand up for yourself and your rights as a human being. You are strong. You are beautiful. And there is more to life than walking on eggshells.”

She also posts “I will not be bullied or made to feel ashamed for being female.”

“They were trying to shame me,” Bolton told The Journal News about the district’s actions. “And what was going on with me was making the point of the movie.”

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