BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The University of Alabama at Birmingham is suspending high school field trip tours of its human anatomy lab in the wake of an incident this week in which a student was caught taking a "selfie" with a cadaver.

The photo was posted on Instagram after the Monday outing before outrage led to it being deleted.

Despite strict guidelines against taking photos or even having phones in the area, a Clements High School senior removed a sheet and took the photo of herself grinning next to the dead body, officials said.

"At this point the tours have been suspended for the semester," said UAB spokesman Jim Bakken. "We will look at the procedures and policies in place to make sure something like this cannot happen again."

For UAB officials, the issue is not taken lightly in order to maintain an important part of a program used to train future doctors and nurses.

"It's a big deal," Bakken said. "These are people who donate their bodies to science and deserve respect and to have their remains treated with respect. The families of donors don't need to be exposed to this kind of thing."

Limestone County Schools Superintendent Dr. Tom Sisk said he has conferred with UAB officials over punishment and the appropriate response would be a verbal and written apology.

"We were very disappointed and shocked that it happened and embarrassed by it," Sisk said.