Who remembers what it feels like when you’re growing up and going through those tough middle and high school years and you’re purposely left out of something by your friend group? Most of us experience it at some point or another, and it never feels good.
This video shared by Inside Edition tells the story of 14-year-old Morgyn Arnold, who has Down syndrome. She was left out of the group yearbook photo of her junior high cheerleading squad in Utah.
Morgyn had spent a good chunk of her school year working as the team manager, and when she and her parents excitedly opened her yearbook to look for her in the group cheerleading shot of the Shoreline Junior High School squad, she was nowhere to be found.
“To not be included in the yearbook was sad for her,” Morgyn’s older sister, Jordan, explains.
Jordan took her frustrations to social media and posted an outcry that ended up gaining nationwide attention.
“Morgyn’s name wasn’t even mentioned as a part of the team. She spent hours learning dances, showing up to games, and cheering on her school and friends but was left out,” the post reads.
According to CNN, Morgyn’s dad noted that his daughter posed for one photo with the team and was seated in the middle of the front row, but when she brought home her yearbook, it turned out that the school used a completely different photo without her in it.
More from LittleThings: Average Joe Sets Up Online Sting Operations To Catch Child Predators Posing Threats To Children
CNN reports that when the 14-year-old showed her parents the cheerleading team picture, Morgyn told her dad, “I’m not here, but these are my friends and I love them.”
School officials have said that it was a mistake for which they apologize and they’re just trying to figure out how it happened.
To learn more about this story and the Arnold family’s plea for inclusivity, watch the full video shared by Inside Edition.
