'We're starting a movement' Teen girls demand change after 'hot or not' list from male classmates surfaces at school

BETHESDA, Maryland (KTRK) -- A group of high school girls in Maryland are pushing back and demanding change after their male classmates created a "hot or not" list, ranking them based on their looks.

The girls were ranked on a sliding scale from 5-10, with a number by each of their names.

A group of students talked to "Good Morning America" on Thursday, saying they felt harassed and objectified.

"Mine was down to the 100th place and seeing that was kind of seeing all your insecurities put together, and put into a number," said student Jane Corcoran.

The Washington Post reporter who broke the story tweeted that she has been stunned by stories of students and women in the workplace who have endured similar treatment.

The girls felt that the boys weren't punished harshly enough, especially since the student who made the list received just one day of detention that wasn't put on his permanent record, the Washington Post reports.

As a result, the girls packed an assistant principal's office and demanded action, but it wasn't more punishment the girls were seeking.

"We designed these presentations in which we would go into underclassmen classes, one girl and one boy, and kind of give this presentation and discussion about, you know, the different transgressions that happen in each grade level that impact not only girls but boys," said student Lee Schwartz.

The girls say their school newspaper is reporting about their movement and so is the local TV station. Other students are also setting up events.

School leaders applauded the girls for banding together to create change.

"It was amazing to see the students coming together and to be able to say, 'You know what? We want to be a part of lending understanding to what happened,'" said the school's principal, Dr. Donna Jones. "We want to be a part of making a difference."

The group of boys ultimately apologized.

"I don't know what it was inside of us that decided to take a stand, but I think that now that we have, there's no turning back. We're starting a movement. This isn't a moment," said student Virginia Brown.