Why An Ohio High School Is Refusing To Place An Empty Chair At Graduation To Honor A Student Who Passed Away
Despite the school board's position on the issue, the student's mother is insistent that they do something.
Joseph Sohm | Shutterstock When a student passes away before they’re able to graduate, they are typically honored at the ceremony in some way. One mom desperately wanted her daughter to be remembered during what should have been her high school graduation ceremony with an empty chair, but the school absolutely refused to do so.
An Ohio school refused to go the extra mile to honor a student who died by suicide at what would have been her graduation.
WKRC’s Paige Barnes reported on the story of Caylee Mastin, a high school student who died by suicide when she was just 15 years old. Now, two years later, her high school class is preparing to graduate, and Caylee’s mother, Julie Mastin, wants her to be remembered.
Julie asked that an empty chair be reserved at what would have been Caylee’s graduation, both to honor her and draw attention to mental health awareness. The Milford School Board in Ohio, where Caylee’s former high school is located, has said that they will not do so.
Emily Mason, the school board’s president, said this is a blanket policy that applies to all students. “We do not place empty chairs for any student because doing so selectively would be unfair and unsafe,” she insisted. Mason did not elaborate on exactly why that is unfair or unsafe.
The school is not ignoring Caylee completely, however. They have promised to include her name in the graduation program and read it out loud during the ceremony. They will also give her family a cap and tassel with a diploma.
Despite these olive branches the school board has tried to extend, Caylee’s mother is insistent on having an empty chair. “It doesn’t matter how you died … you should be in this room, and it doesn’t have to be all about you,” she said. “It doesn’t have to put a damper on things, but just a reminder how precious life is.”
Far too many high school students are losing their lives to suicide.
An article published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report explained that suicide had become the third highest cause of death for high school-aged students. 1,952 teens between 14 and 18 died by suicide in 2021. As the article pointed out, there are many other dangers and pitfalls that come along with suicidal behavior that make life unimaginably difficult.
There is some debate as to whether more high school students are dying by suicide, or if it is just more openly reported and discussed now. Regardless, these numbers are far too high.
The student's mother and others continue the fight to have Caylee honored at graduation.
The Milford School Board insisted it did not make this decision on its own. According to Barnes, “The district said it consulted with the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement. An empty chair at graduation is considered a ‘permanent memorial’ and can unintentionally glorify suicide, the center said.”
For her part, Julie Mastin is not buying this reasoning. “A chair is not permanent,” she said. “A chair is temporary, just for a few hours during the graduation, and you don’t even have to acknowledge it if you don’t want to, you know. So that’s where I’m not understanding.”
Stanley Morales | Pexels
In addition to Julie’s efforts, one of Caylee’s fellow students started a petition for the empty chair to be at graduation in her memory. It has over 6,000 signatures.
Despite what Caylee’s mom implied, Mason insisted that the district’s decision had nothing to do with her manner of death. “We will not make different decisions depending on how a student passed away,” she said. It remains unclear whether the school board is really just following policy or if their decision has something to do with the fact that Caylee died by suicide.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, reach out 24/7 to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting 988 or using chat services at suicidepreventionlifeline.org to connect to a trained crisis counselor.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
