Parents call for reprint after special needs students excluded from Chapel Hill High School yearbook

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN) — On Tuesday, CBS 17 looked into concerns from a group of parents in Chapel Hill who said their children, who are special needs students, were not included in the Chapel Hill High School yearbook.

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They said what matters is representation, and they want the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools District to reprint the yearbook so that these students are included on the pages alongside the rest of their graduating class of 2026.

Parent Krista Zelt Caraway said, “Chapel High School 2025, 2026, volume 101, so this would mean everybody, right?”

That would be wrong, much to Caraway’s surprise and disappointment after she flipped through the pages of her son’s and daughter’s yearbooks.

“He would be listed in here but not, and that was devastating,” Caraway added.

She found no references and no photos of her autistic children, including her straight-A student son, Luke, and her daughter Lexi, who is non-verbal. She also did not find any reference or photos of any of the more than a dozen special needs students at the school. She said, “It seems like students with disabilities are historically an afterthought.”

Her kids came home with the yearbook this past Wednesday and Caraway wasted no time asking for answers, action, and help.

Her social media posts on the matter have gotten hundreds of responses.

“I went through all the appropriate channels and contacted the yearbook advisor as well as the principal, counselors, and then the higher chain of command to the exceptional children’s director, the superintendent and the board of education, Caraway explained.

“The response has not really been helpful,” she told CBS 17. “The first response was almost as if it was just a clerical error, and they are blaming it on their systems.”

Caraway shared an email with CBS 17 in which she and a member of the Special Needs Advisory Council (SNAC) received a response today from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools’ Exceptional Children Program.

The email from senior executive director, Fonda L. Robinson, reads:

“It is my understanding that steps are being taken to address this serious concern. Upon review of the situation, it was not malicious or an intentional oversight, however we understand that it was hurtful just the same. With that in mind, we will support all of our schools so that something like this does not occur in the future.”

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Caraway went on to say that the school told her that, following the mistake, they could offer peel-and-stick photos to place in the yearbook. “I said that would not be acceptable,” Caraway responded.

Caraway and other parents want the district to take action now to correct and reprint the yearbook, which they stress is more than just a book.

“I’ve had kids who have needed support in school, didn’t necessarily fit in like everybody else, so that just feels mean and exclusionary,” Randy Ehrler said.

“Well, it’s their community,” Caraway added. “So, for a sense of belonging, my son said, he really likes prehistoric animals.

Caraway told CBS 17 that this is about her children’s community and a sense of belonging. She also shared what her son Luke had to say about the issue through the lens of his interest in and knowledge of prehistoric animals.

“He said, I feel like an an extinct animal that wasn’t even documented,” Caraway said. “So, I just think seeing yourself in the yearbook—just like everyone else—as an individual, a picture with a name as a historical document that you keep forever, to include all students.”

The district confirmed that it is aware of the parents’ concerns and is looking into this Chapel Hill High School yearbook controversy.

As for what’s next for the Caraway family, they have created a fundraising page to assist with the costs of Lexi’s basic needs and care, including “supplies, daily living supports, and the stability required to continue full-time care, advocacy, and guardianship.”

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As of Tuesday night, more than $4,000 had been gifted.