Utah Cheer Manager With Down Syndrome Cut From Team Yearbook Photo

The family of a Utah cheerleading manager with Down syndrome says they are thankful for the outpouring of support they received after she was cut from a team yearbook photo.

According to her father, Jeffrey Arnold, CNN reports that Morgyn Arnold, 14, was the manager for the Shoreline Junior High School cheer squad. Morgyn would attend games with the team, cheer, and participate in activities to boost school spirit.

Her father told CNN that Morgyn posed with the cheer squad for a photo, sitting right in the middle of the front row. But when he got her yearbook on the last day of eighth grade, she noticed a different photo was used. Morgyn was absent from the picture.

“She walked in, and she shows it to me, she says ‘I’m not here, but these are my friends, and I love them,'” her father told the outlet.

But, Jeffrey Arnold said he had positive conversations with the Davis School District since the yearbook was released. Arnold hopes something like this never happens again. But, he said he didn’t want to blame anyone or point fingers. 

“I am optimistic by the empathetic conversations that are starting to be engaged in to help impact change to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” he said.

He also said that the other girls on the team have been very supportive since the yearbook came out. However, he would like for people to stop harassing the girls and their families online. 

He went on to say that Morgyn will be back at the school next year for the ninth grade but may not be involved with cheerleading.

School officials have issued an apology.

“We are deeply saddened by the mistake that was made. We are continuing to look at what has occurred and why it occurred. Apologies have been made to the family, and we sincerely apologize to others impacted by this error. We will continue to address it with the parents of the student. We will continue to look at our processes to ensure this does not happen again,” read the statement.