Morton Grove student with autism banned from graduation for social media posts
MORTON GROVE, Ill. (WLS) -- An eighth grader was banned from graduation because of his posts on social media.
Jake Hoffman has autism and goes to Park View School in northwest suburban Morton Grove. He claims he was recently bullied on a class trip.
Hoffman was suspended after posting statements on social media about stabbing fellow classmates. He admitted his comments were out of line, but said the punishment was extreme.
"I deserve this graduation. I should have walked down the halls. My friends felt sad. They were posting Snapchats, tweets and everything about it. And I should walk down that hall, I deserve this graduation," Hoffman said.
"The school just made a decision without consulting any doctors. Or really reaching out to my family for that matter," said his sister Taylor Hoffman.
Morton Grove School District 70 said it takes the safety of its students seriously and investigates bullying immediately, consistent with district policy.
The school district released a statement saying, in part, "Last week, we were notified through our anonymous student tipline of inappropriate social media activity. We immediately contacted the local police, who took the lead in investigating and responding to this matter. While we cannot disclose specific information regarding our students, our actions in this matter are consistent with District disciplinary policies."
