Two students at Potomac High School and one at Oxon Hill High School will not be permitted to walk across the stage with their classmates and receive their diplomas Wednesday. And it's all because of a guidance counselor's mistake.
The students did not meet all graduation requirements, according to Prince George's County Schools Spokesman John White. The mistake was found during a peer review process completed by the school's counseling team.
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According to the students, a counselor at the school did not enroll them in the proper course load. Students were not made aware of the mistake until a few days before they had anticipated graduating.
The two students who plan to attend college in the fall will still be able to do so, although they will need to attend summer school in order to complete their graduation requirements.
"The priority is supporting both students, so they successfully complete the work needed to receive their high school diplomas," said White.
Isaiah Strattonbey is one of the two seniors at Potomac High School who will not graduate with his class on Wednesday.
"I was hurt," said Strattonbey . "I ran away and I cried."
Strattonbey has been in a Special Education program since Kindergarten and said he didn't even know if he would make it through high school.
"When he was in elementary school, they thought he wasn't going to be able to do it," said his father Shercohn Evans.
But seven years ago, Strattonbey made his twin sister a promise right before she passed away from a brain aneurysm.
"All she ever wanted was to see him graduate from high school," said Evans.
Strattonbey kept his promise, passing all of his classes, prepared to graduate.
But last week, his dad received a call from the school telling him his son wouldn't walk across the stage with his classmates.
He was told a guidance counselor at the school did not sign him up for the proper course load. He now does not meet education requirements.
"My heart is broken," said Strattonbey.
Strattonbey said while his friends are graduating tomorrow, he will "chill, be in the house, think about the memories."
To make matters worse, Evans said he was not notified until last week that his son would not graduate.
"For you to wait a week before he is supposed to graduate before you crush his dreams," said Evans. I'm trying to pick the pieces up. He is crying."
Strattonbey's plan was to go to Prince George's County Community College in the fall to pursue computer engineering. He will still be able to do that, but he will have to take summer cool classes if he wants his diploma.
"Because of not something he did, but because of something the school did. He shouldn't have to go through that," said Evans.
As for Strattonbey's message to the school district?
"You screwed me over," said Strattonbey.
"The one thing he wants more than anything," said Evans. "You are taking it away from his. That's not fair, at all."
The Prince George’s County school district said they are assessing whether disciplinary action should be taken against the guidance counselors who failed to ensure their students met graduation requirements.
The cost of summer school will also be waived for the three students impacted.
