ANSWERS. >> THEY VISIT THE PELHAM BOARD OF EDUCATION TODAY AND THEY WANTED ANSWERS. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS LIKE, WAS A YEARBOOK PICTURE PURPOSELY ALTERED AND HOW CAN A CHEERLEADER, VICE PRESIDENT OF HER CLASS, BEEN BULLIED SO MUCH AND LISTEN TO SO LITTLE? >> I THINK WE LOOK AT IT AND THINK THE KIDS THAT GET BULLIED ARE THE QUIET KIDS OF THE KIDS THAT DON’T HAVE FRIENDS BUT I WENT FROM HAVING TONS OF FRIENDS TO BEING CHEER CAPTAIN AND BEING A PART OF ALL THESE CLUBS TO HAVING NO FRIENDS. >> AVRI SAYS THE BULLYING STARTED HER FRESHMAN YEAR AFTER A BOYFRIEND BREAKUP AND SHE SAYS IT ONLY GOT WORSE. >> ONCE WE GOT TO SENIOR YEAR IT BECAME A DIFFERENT ANIMAL AND SOMETIMES YOU CAN’T SHRUG THOSE THINGS OFF. REPORTER: THINGS LIKE HAVING PAINT SPLATTERED IN HER BAG, >> I WAS CALLED AT THE PHONE ON TIMES TELL ME I NEED TO KILL MYSELF, AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY FRIENDS ANYWAY AND I WAS JUST WORTHLESS AT THAT POINT. REPORTER: AVRI FINISHED HER SENIOR SEASON VIRTUALLY AND THE HEARTACHE RETURNED DAYS AGO WHEN SHE PICKED UP HER HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOK. AVRI’S YEARBOOK QUOTE, FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S I RATHER BE A LITTLE NOBODY THAN AN EVIL SOMEBODY. BUT IN THAT YEARBOOK THE FIRST LINE OF THAT QUOTE DID NOT APPEAR INSTEAD ONLY AN EVIL SOMEBODY.’ SO WHAT HAPPENED? SUPERINTENDENT CHUCK LEDBETTER TELLS ME THE COMPLETE PHRASE WAS NOT INCLUDED ON THE YEARBOOK FORM SENT IN BY THE GILLISPIES WHAT WAS PRINTED WAS WHAT WAS SENT TO THEM. >> ANYTIME WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT IS HURTING THAT TOUCHES OUR , HEART AS WELL AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO TO CORRECT IT. REPORTER: THE GILLISPIE’S INSIST SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS SHOULD HAVE CORRECTED BULLYING ISSUES YEARS AGO. I MET WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, I MET WITH THE BOARD, I SPOKE AT A BOARD MEETING, I WENT TO THE STATE OF ALABAMA AND THE CONSENSUS WAS YOU ARE JUST ONE FAMILY. >> SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICIALS ARE SATISFIED WITH THE YEARBOOK SURE FINDINGS, YET THEY CONTINUE TO HAVE SYMPATHY FOR A STUDENT WHO SAYS SHE HAS SEEN TOUGH TIMES. >> DO YOU THINK THE PELHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT FAILED THIS FAMILY? >> WELL THAT’S A QUESTION THEY FEEL AS IF THE PELHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT FAILED THIS FAMILY. REPORTER: THERE’S A LESSON LEARNED IN ALL OF THIS A LESSON OF STAYING STRONG NEVER BACKING DOWN. >> I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO STAND UP FOR YOURSELF EVEN IF OTHER PEOPLE TRY TO TALK YOU DOWN FROM IT. REPORTER: AVRI’S FINAL MESSAGE, NEVER FORGET, BUT FORGIVE, AVRI — >> I DON’T WISH ANY HARM TO THE PEOPLE WHO BULLIED ME OR AFFECT MY LIFE HOPE THEY LEARNED FROM THIS AND BECOME A BETTER PERSON IN THEIR LIFE. REPORTER: AVRI WILL START A NEW CHAPTER IN HER LIFE THIS FALL WHEN SHE HEADS TO JAX STATE TO STUDY NURSING TAKING A LIFE LESSON ALONG WITH HER, BE KIND AND BE TRUE BACK TO YOU. SHERI: THE SUPERINTENDENT SAYS HE HAS STOPPED THE DISTRIBUTION OF THOSE YEARBOOKS. GUY: THEY’LL BE RE-DISTRIBUTED, AFTE
High school yearbook misprint causes stir with student, family
Updated: 10:47 PM EDT Jul 30, 2022
The distribution of Pelham High School’s 2021-22 yearbook has been halted after the senior quote of a recent graduate was misprinted, and after years of bullying, the Gillispie family wonders if the altered quote was intentional.The Alabama high school did offer a response. Avri Gillispie said her quote was supposed to say, “I’d rather be a little nobody than an evil somebody,” but instead, the quote printed under her senior portrait read “to be an evil somebody.”Rick Karle of Hearst-owned WVTM breaks down the incident and the school system’s response in the video above. Read the full statement from Pelham City Schools here.
PELHAM, Ala. —
The distribution of Pelham High School’s 2021-22 yearbook has been halted after the senior quote of a recent graduate was misprinted, and after years of bullying, the Gillispie family wonders if the altered quote was intentional.
The Alabama high school did offer a response.
Avri Gillispie said her quote was supposed to say, “I’d rather be a little nobody than an evil somebody,” but instead, the quote printed under her senior portrait read “to be an evil somebody.”
Rick Karle of Hearst-owned WVTM breaks down the incident and the school system’s response in the video above.
Read the full statement from Pelham City Schools here.
