An Indiana school district has issued an apology after a special-needs teacher awarded an 11-year-old student with autism a trophy naming him the “most annoying male” of the school year.
The Bailly Preparatory Academy teacher gave the boy the trophy in May during a 5th grade awards luncheon attended by students, parents, and the school principal.
Rick Castejon, the boy’s father, said his family was blindsided. “As a principal or teacher, you should never let this happen to any student.”
Gary Community School Corp. issued an apology to the boy and his family in a statement last week. Emergency manager Peter Morikis called it an “unfortunate occurrence” and declined to comment on the employment status of the teacher involved.