Fifth grader in wheelchair overlooked at graduation
theGRIO REPORT - A young Texas student was excited to participate in her fifth grade graduation, however her day of celebration turned "humiliating."
A young Texas student was excited to participate in her fifth grade graduation, however her day of celebration turned “humiliating.”
Trinecia Blacklock, who uses a wheelchair to navigate Link Elementary, was nearly forgotten by school administrators, reports KHOU-TV.
Administrators did not call Blacklock’s name but started to close the ceremony, and they didn’t realize their mistake until they were alerted by parents. When a school official finally did call Blacklock’s name, she could not cross the stage to get her certificate because the stage did not have a way for her to access it.
Watch a full report on the graduation snub below:
“I wish I would have gone across the stage, but they have no ramp, nothing but stairs,” Blacklock told KHOU.
“It was just all very humiliating,” said Tonisha McCowan, Trinecia’s mother. “Her joy from that day was stripped from right under her.”
Although she has her certificate now, and her parents even bought her a cake and took pictures, the young girl is upset that her memories of what should have been a happy day have been stained by this moment.
Since the incident, Spring ISD has released the following statement to KHOU:
Spring ISD administrators were recently made aware that during a fifth-grade promotion ceremony a student was unable to completely participate in the program. The student was acknowledged from the podium but was unable to cross the stage to receive a certificate. Although the school had good intentions in acknowledging the student’s academic achievement, accommodations should have been made so the student could fully participate in the program or the program should have been adjusted. Once this issue was brought to Spring ISD administration’s attention, it was immediately reviewed and district administrators from the Office of School Leadership, which oversees principals and campuses, met with the student’s family to offer an apology. Additionally, the Office of Operations is reviewing all district facilities to ensure that they are compliant at all times and that this never happens again.
