Muslim Teen Humiliated After Being Misnamed ‘ISIS’ In High School Yearbook Photo

A Los Angeles high school has come under fire for misnaming a Muslim teen in the school’s yearbook. According to Yahoo! News, a The Muslim student named Bayan Zehlif shared a photo of her high school yearbook picture on social media. However, the name listed under the photo wasn’t her name. It actually said “Isis Phillips.”

Although students on the yearbook committee have said the incident was the result of an honest mistake, Zehlif and her family aren’t buying it. The fact that she is a Muslim who was misnamed after the militant terrorist group ISIS in the yearbook raises speculation about the incident being done by accident.

On Saturday, May 8, Zehlif took to Facebook with the yearbook photo. She shared her reaction to the offensive name change describing how humiliating it was to be compared to a terrorist group. She was also shocked the yearbook staff was able to get by with publishing the incorrect name. Although the school offered an explanation claiming the misname was nothing more than a typo because another student does have the same name, she refuses to believe this was an honest error.

“I am extremely saddened, disgusted, hurt and embarrassed that the Los Osos High School yearbook was able to get away with this,” the eleventh grader wrote. “Apparently I am “Isis” in the yearbook. The school reached out to me and had the audacity to say that this was a typo. I beg to differ, let’s be real,” she wrote.

The LOHS yearbook staff took to Twitter with a brief statement of apology. Principal Susan Petrocelli also issued an official statement of apology on behalf of Los Osos High School and the yearbook staff.

Shortly after the photo began circulating on Facebook, it caught the attention of news outlets, and it has been reported that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has also been in contact with Zehlif and her family, according to ABC 7. “We join with the family in their concern about a possible bias motive for this incident and in the deep concern for their daughter’s safety as a result of being falsely labeled as a member of a terrorist group,” wrote CAIR-LA’s Hussam Ayloush. “No student should have to face the humiliation of being associated with a group as reprehensible as ISIS.”

Since the incident has garnered so much attention, the Chaffey Joint Union High School District has also announced its intent to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident to ensure it was, indeed, an accident as the yearbook staff claims. “We are investigating to figure how this happened and we are certainly sensitive to the young lady. We have been in contact with the family and will continue to work with them to determine how this could happen and how we can remedy the situation.”

Bayan Zehlif was listed as "Isis Phillips" in her yearbook. School claims it was a typo. ? https://t.co/6I86zgPAdo pic.twitter.com/DdODwjS3RK

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) May 8, 2016

If the investigation proves otherwise, the school district could be facing future legal problems for the allowance of discriminatory practices. But, hopefully the situation can be rectified despite the damage that has already been done. The incident has sparked quite a debate on social media as many readers agree with Zehlif and believe the misname definitely wasn’t a typo.

Here are some of the tweets in response to the yearbook incident:

Do you believe the LOHS yearbook staff made an honest mistake? Or was the misname intentional? Share your thoughts.

[Image via Facebook/Bayan Zehlif]