Suicide Victim Excluded From Yearbook


A suicide victim was excluded from a high school yearbook. Ethan Schumacher committed suicide in December 2012. The 2013 yearbook for Hickory High School in Chesapeake, Virginia, did not include his picture, name, or a memorial.

Ethan’s friends and family were stunned to see that he was apparently excluded from the yearbook entirely. Ethan’s parents feel that their son’s name and image were left out of the yearbook because he committed suicide.

As reported by HamptonRoads.com, Ethan’s classmates mourned his untimely passing by wearing t-shirts displaying his name and jersey number. Ethan was a member of the Hickory High School football team. However, the suicide victim was also excluded from all team pictures displayed in the yearbook.

School officials told Ethan’s parents that he was not pictured, as he was absent from school on picture day. However, there is evidence that his picture and name were deliberately excluded.

Other students, who were also absent on picture day, had their names included with the tag “not pictured.” Additionally, Ethan apparently was present when pictures of the football team were taken.

A comment on Reddit.com, may explain why he disappeared from the photos:

“He was there for group picture day, the principal made the JV football team retake their photo after his death … the principal said she didn’t “condone” the way his life ended.”

Reddit Comment

Ethan’s friends started a petition asking the school to formally apologize to his family. The students collected close to 200 signatures. However, school administrators have not apologized.

Ethan Football

School officials have refused to comment on the situation.

Some students feel that the suicide victim was excluded from the yearbook, as the school sought to ignore the issue. Ricky Hettinger, a student at Hickory High School, feels that school administrators should raise awareness, not ignore the issue:

“If they can sit there and have, like, these huge assemblies about, like, drunk driving or school shootings and stuff like that, then they can have an assembly about suicide because depression is very common now in teenagers.”

Ethan At School

The suicide victim was excluded from the yearbook, which has already been printed and distributed. Unfortunately it cannot be undone. However, at least 200 of his classmates would like his family to receive an apology. At the very least Ethan’s friends and family want to raise awareness about teen suicide.

Share this article: Suicide Victim Excluded From Yearbook
More from Inquisitr