A California Muslim student cried foul after she was mistakenly named as "Isis" in the latest edition of her high school yearbook. She also slammed her school for reasoning out that the misidentification was a mere typographical error.
The California Muslim Student Was Misidentified As 'Isis Phillips'
CNN reports that Bayan Zehlif, a California Muslim student at Los Osos High School, posted an identical photo on her Twitter and Facebook accounts, showing her smiling and wearing a hijab. The photo, taken from one of the pages of her high school yearbook, has the caption "Isis Phillips."
"I guess I'm Isis in the yearbook ..." the California Muslim student said on her Twitter post. Presently, the name "Isis," which was a popular baby name years ago, is widely associated to the extremist group Islamic State.
On her Facebook post, the California Muslim student expressed that she is extremely saddened, disgusted, hurt and embarrassed that her high school yearbook named her "Isis." She also slammed Los Osos High School for reaching out to her and reasoning out that the mistake was a typo error. "I beg to differ, let's be real," Zehlif wrote.
The California Muslim Student Gained Support
The California Muslim student's complaint immediately gained support from the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The group has called for a thorough investigation about the misidentification.
The California Muslim student's posts also sparked anger on social media. Some users accused Los Osos high school of promoting hate, while others suggested that the staff members of the high school yearbook should be held accountable.
The California Muslim Student Was Incorrectly Identified As Another Student Named 'Isis'
Los Osos High School principal Susan Petrocelli posted an apology on Twitter, saying that the school is doing everything to correct the mistake. She also wrote that the school is presently investigating about the "regrettable misprint" that misidentified the California Muslim student as "Isis."
Los Angeles Times also reports that the staff of the Los Osos High School yearbook also issued a statement, owning up their failure to carefully verify every name in the yearbook. The staff also clarified that they did not intend to create misunderstanding.
Chaffey Joint Union High School district superintendent Mat Holton said that the California Muslim girl's complaint was addressed immediately. He disclosed that the distribution of the high school yearbook was halted until the error will be corrected. He also added that those students who already claimed their high school yearbooks were advised to return them.
Do you agree with the school's reason that the mistake was a typo? Share your thoughts below.
