A Junior High Cheerleader With Down Syndrome Was Left Out Of Her Yearbook Cheerleading Team Photo And This Makes Me So Sad

Well, this story will make your blood boil.

14-year-old junior high school cheerleader, Morgyn Arnold, was left out of her high school yearbook cheer team photo — even AFTER they took her picture with the squad.

See, Morgyn lives with Down Syndrome, and is also a cheerleader on the Shoreline Junior High School cheer team.

She didn’t even know she had been taken out of the team photo until the yearbook came out, and she was showing her sister the cheer team page with the team photo on it.

There were actually TWO pictures in question.

There was the one where Morgyn is front-and-center, smiling as she represents her cheer team.

Then, there is the photo that was included in the yearbook, the one where they had excluded Morgyn from the picture.

Morgyn’s sister, Jordyn Poll, was shocked when she was shown the picture without her sister in it — she was really worried about how her sister would feel about the exclusion.

Those girls were so kind to her during the year. Those girls on the squad were her friends — they ARE her friends… For her to not be included when all was said and done was devastating.
Jordyn Poll

Now the school did issue an apology — if you can call it that — and said they are working to remedy the situation.

I mean, the yearbook is already out, how are they going to “fix” the mistake?

I don’t think anybody had ill intent in this. It was just a mistake that was made and we’re trying to figure out why that mistake was made.
Shauna Lund, spokesperson for the Davis School District

If they say so.

Now, Jordyn wants to make sure that everyone knows that Morgyn’s fellow cheerleaders are not to blame.

They, throughout the entire year, did such a great job of including her and helping her and making her feel loved. These girls were nothing but kind. These girls were nothing but inclusive.
Jordyn Poll

Instead of getting mad, Morgyn’s dad, Jeff Arnold, wants to use this opportunity to raise awareness about inclusion, being thoughtful and compassionate — leaving NOBODY out, whether they have disabilities or not.

If we can find ways so that this doesn’t happen to somebody else, that’s all that we want. That’s all that matters, because we can’t go back and put her in the yearbook.
Jeff Arnold