#Petition: Let Emily finish high school - Vote for Emily’s Senior Year

Emily is an 18-year-old with Down syndrome. She has lived through open-heart surgery, leukemia, and scoliosis. At school, where she’s just a regular teen who enjoys basketball, cheerleading, and hanging out with her friends. But a district policy that limits student age to under nineteen means Emily can’t come back for senior year. After everything Emily’s been through, a local parent believes she deserves to finish her high school experience. Add your name and join the community fighting for Emily. Vote for Emily’s Senior Year 66,908 have signed Adrian Wood’s petition. Let’s get to 75,000!

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Dear World, Emily Pennington is a junior at West Billings High school in Montana. She’s overcome tremendous obstacles in her eighteen years- open heart surgery, leukemia and most recently, two 17” titanium rods were placed in her back at the Mayo Clinic because of adolescent onset scoliosis.  She plays basketball, is a cheerleader, wakeboards, and she enjoys hanging out with her friends like every other teenage girl. Emily also has Down syndrome.  The school district told Emily she can’t come back for her senior year because they have a “policy” that limits student age to under nineteen. Policy 2050 needs to be revised to align with state law so that all students with disabilities can attend public school past the age of eighteen.  Thanks so much, Adrian Wood (Amos’s Mom) P.S. The vice principal, Dr. Jeril Hehn, at West Billings confiscated the original petition started by Emily’s high school classmates- a “disruption” it was called and not allowed on school property.  To Emily and her friends- You’re far more than a disruption- you’re making the world better and we see you.

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