Special needs students' photo excluded from yearbook

Mayra Moreno Image
Friday, May 26, 2017
Mom says yearbook class photo excludes special needs students
A Cy-Fair mom of a special needs students says the school's yearbook excludes special needs students.

Max, 11, has reached many milestones since he was born.

"I'm so proud of him," said Max's mom Aalejandra Gonzalez De Noit.

Every step of the way Max's mom has been there supporting him with many hugs and kisses.

"Max walked across the stage and it was an amazing feeling," said De Noit.

This latest accomplishment came with a big disappointment for De Noit.

After flipping through the pages of the 2017 Emmott Elementary yearbook she found herself taken aback and crying.

"It was heartbreaking," said De Noit. "It's hard not to have your child included in something so basic."

Max and two other special needs students were not included in the yearbook class picture.

In a statement Cy-Fair ISD said the following:

"We were very upset to learn that 3 students were missing from the class photo as we strive to be inclusive of all. When the original picture was taken, it included the entire 5th-grade class. There were a large number of students out that day and the picture was retaken at a later date. Regrettably, the day of the retake, the life-skills class was not pulled. We are providing the parents the original picture with their students in it and looking into the possibility of reprinting the book."

"For me it's not an excuse," said De Noit. "It's already very hard to be a mother with a special needs child and then it's exhausting when you have to fight for every single thing."

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