Jewish High School for girls 'tells pupils to delete Facebook accounts or be expelled' as site is 'against moral code'

Move happened to restore 'code of modesty' at school

A Jewish High School for girls has been accused of ordering pupils to delete their Facebook profiles or risk expulsion.

Female pupils at Beis Rivkah High School in Brooklyn, New York, have reportedly been told to remove their accounts from the social networking site as bosses tried to address a supposed decline in pupils' 'code of modesty'.

A school official said the crackdown was launched to restore a level of the Tznius Jewish Orthodox code of modesty said to be in decline through Facebook use.

Crackdown: Beis Rivkah High School in Brooklyn wants its pupils to obey the Jewish Orthodox code of modesty

Pupils at the school said they've been told Facebook isn't compatible with their moral code.

All girls in the 11th grade of the school with Facebook accounts were removed from class and given the ultimatum, according to the Crown Heights community website.

An unnamed student at the school told the Algemeiner newspaper: 'People on the board said it’s not proper for us to have Facebook because girls might be talking to boys on Facebook or they might be putting up immodest pictures.

The principal at the school defended the action, saying the policy had been in place for two years.

Shaindel Teichtel told the Algemeinern the Facebook ban is 'in keeping with the highest quality standards of educating our students, within the context of a pure and sacred Torah (Jewish law) environment.'

Ban: Pupils at Beis Rivkah have been told to delete their Facebook accounts or risk being expelled (file picture)

Code: Officials at the Jewish school say the move happened to help address a decline in the code of modesty among pupils (file picture)

On Beis Rivkah's website, the school is described as 'a flagship institution, pioneering the Lubavitch Educational System for girls that prepares young girls for their futures as Jewish women and as community leaders, role models, and educators'.

It remains unclear whether other year groups will be subjected to the Facebook ban at the school.