Jaylan Sorrells is ready for the next chapter of his life as he gets ready to graduate from high school. However, he cannot walk across the stage at Orange High School’s graduation ceremony on June 7.
Orange County Schools informed Sorrells and his mother, Ellen Sorrells, that Jaylan, who has attended the school for four years while also enrolled at the Partnership Academy, will not be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony.
The decision by the school and district has Jaylen Sorrells and his mother asking: Why is this happening?
“It’s tough because I want to graduate with my twin brother and brothers I’ve grown up in the past four years,” he said. “It’s hard for me to see this.”
Ellen Sorrells said her son started attending Partnership Academy at the start of high school, but when he wanted to play football, arrangements were made for him to attend both schools.
According to the school’s website, Partnership Academy is a public school of choice that partners with families and the community to help students achieve their goals and provide an alternative academic program for high school students in Orange County Schools who are not realizing their potential in the traditional high school setting.
The academy partners with Orange High School and Cedar Ridge High School to “identify students who may thrive in an alternative educational setting with the goal of meeting the requirements for graduation.”
“[He was] allowed to start taking classes and played football in the ninth grade at Orange,” Ellen Sorrells said, adding her son spent half the day at Partnership, and a bus brought him to Orange for the other half of the day.
During the partnership, Ellen Sorrells said her son helped the football team off the field with community service to the school.
“He would help with football camps during the summer for little kids,” she explained. “He’s always been a Panther.”
While the Partnership Academy holds a graduation ceremony, Ellen Sorrells said her son should be able to participate in Orange High School’s graduation ceremony.
She said it’s not about receiving a diploma but rewarding his hard work to get to this point.
“It’s being able to walk across the stage with friends … with his twin brother … his teammates. That’s what it’s about,” she explained. “That’s what it’s about.”
When Sorrells sent a letter to the school district, which she also posted on her Facebook page, she received the following response:
“Good afternoon Ms. Sorrells. We value Jaylan as a student and we are certainly proud of his accomplishments. Unfortunately, Jaylan is officially enrolled at Partnership Academy and has been for the last four years. Therefore, your request to have Jaylan participate in the Orange High School graduation ceremony has been denied. Thank you for your understanding and continued partnership.”
According to Ellen Sorrells, Orange County Superintendent Danielle Jones never responded to her and asked her questions about her son’s circumstances.
“For me, not to talk to her and have a conversation and get that email was infuriating,” she said.
Ellen Sorrells claims the district has no policy preventing her son from participating in Orange’s graduation.
“There’s nothing written,” she said. “No one spoke to us about this. His counselor at Partnership even spoke up and said she’s had many conversations over the years about Jaylan graduating from both schools.”
Jaylan Sorrells, who has ADHD, autism and sensory processing disorder, said he’s doing just as well as other students with a 3.8 GPA. While he understands he cannot receive a diploma from Orange High School too, he would like to see ‘something concrete” regarding the school’s decision to bar him from Orange’s graduation ceremony.
As for his mother, she’s hoping the school district reverses its decision and allows him to graduate with his peers.
“I hope they can come up with a policy that says if you’re in Partnership and Orange High School or Cedar Ridge, these are the requirements you have to graduate from both schools,” she said.
WRAL News has reached out to Orange County Schools regarding official policy on the decision and are waiting to hear back.
