Cheer team manager who has Down syndrome left out of yearbook photo

Morgyn Poll, center, poses for a photo with the Shoreline Junior High cheerleading team in Layton. Two pictures were taken for the yearbook, one with Morgyn, the team manager, and one without. The photo without Morgyn was published in the yearbook. The faces of the team members have been blurred after reports that members of the team have experienced harassment online.

A Layton family wants to know why their eighth grade daughter, who has Down syndrome, was left out of the cheerleading team picture in her school’s yearbook.

“She was sad. She was sad that she was not included,” said Jordyn Poll, Morgyn’s older sister.

“There was two pictures that were taken — one picture was taken with Morgyn and one picture was taken without Morgyn,” said Poll. The one without Morgyn was published in the the Shoreline Junior High School yearbook.

This photo of the Shoreline Junior High cheerleading team was published in the school’s yearbook. Two photos were taken for the yearbook, one with Morgyn Poll, the team manager who has Down syndrome, and one without. The faces of the team members have been blurred after reports that members of the team have experienced harassment online.

Morgyn was the team manager and went to meets and practices with the cheer squad.

“I don’t think discrimination was intended,” said Poll. “I don’t think there was malice. I don’t think that people meant to be mean.”

“When we asked her how she felt, she said, ‘These are my friends and I want them to know they’re my friends,’” said Poll.

Poll posted about it on Facebook and thousands of people commented in support of Morgyn, telling her she’s beautiful and did nothing wrong.

“I’m overwhelmed at the good and I’m overwhelmed at the ability to rally people together,” said Poll. “At the end of the day, the most important thing to do is love everybody.”

Davis County School District a statement saying it was saddened by the mistake.

The district’s statement reads in full:

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 also will continue to look at our processes to ensure this does not happen again.

Morgyn’s family said they were not mad at the school or the school district; they just hope this is a learning opportunity for the future.

Junior high yearbook publishes cheerleading photo without team manager who has Down syndrome