Several North Carolina parents of students with special needs say their children were left out of their high school yearbook.
According to the Daily Mail, Krista Zelt Caraway discovered that her two graduating seniors, Luke and Lexi, were not properly represented in the Chapel Hill High School yearbook. Caraway explained that her son, Luke, has autism and daughter, Lexi is nonverbal. Caraway said she flipped through the pages and found what she described as “no inclusion.”
“No individual photos. No accurate senior recognition. No inclusion within the ‘Class of 2026’ representation that other students received,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
Parents Describe Milestone Achievement
Caraway said both of her children overcame significant challenges to reach graduation. “My two seniors have overcome enormous adversity to reach this milestone. One is graduating with straight As and Honors classes after years of perseverance and healing.” She added, “The other survived profound abuse and neglect before coming into our care and is now thriving in community, friendship, safety, and belonging.” The school has an adapted and inclusive curriculum for students with special needs.
Luke reportedly asked for a $90 refund for the yearbook. However, the family says they would prefer corrected yearbooks to be issued instead.
School District Responds
In a statement released Monday, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District acknowledged the mistake.
Officials said the yearbooks were printed with errors due to what they described as a clerical issue.
“Chapel Hill High School and our district as a whole recognize the heartbreak and anger that’s been felt, and for that we are deeply sorry,” district spokesman Andy Jenks said in a statement.
The district did not immediately clarify how many students were affected.