UPDATE: H.S. Stafford Middle School says they will now reprint the yearbook or add an insert to the book.
Debra Benning just received her son Riley’s school yearbook and she is beyond upset.
Riley, who has autism, and the other special needs kids in his Division 22 class have been all but excluded.
“My child may have autism but he has feelings,” Benning said. “He wants to be included in things and it’s heartbreaking.”
Most students at Langley’s H.D. Stafford Middle School had their school photo featured in the school’s yearbook. Riley, however, only appears in the yearbook once – a candid photo with his face hardly showing.
Riley did pose for a school picture like the other kids, but it wasn’t included in the yearbook.
Riley said he would have liked to have had his school photo included in the yearbook.
“I just want to trust everyone in my school,” he said.
WATCH BELOW: A Langley mother is speaking out after her special needs son’s school picture was left out of the yearbook. Catherine Urquhart reports.
The principal at H.D. Stafford has offered an apology but no explanation.
Ken Hoff of the Langley School District claims it was a mistake.
“It was the result of an unfortunate error and it’s not something that’s reflective of the inclusion and community that is fostered within H.D. Stafford Middle School and the Langley School District and moving forward we will work to ensure that it won’t happen again,” he said.
Benning said the school knew better because she spoke to them last year about something similar. She hopes the school will finally get the message that all kids deserve to be recognized.
– With files from Catherine Urquhart
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