ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - The Dougherty County School System (DCSS) responded on Monday, June 1, to allegations from family that a 2026 graduate with autism was treated differently than his classmates at graduation and honors ceremonies.

Sheila Jackson said her son, Reginald Jordan, overcame major early challenges, including being nonverbal as a young child and experiencing severe sensory overload before becoming what she described as a self-sufficient young adult now preparing for college.

Jackson credited multiple educators for helping her son succeed, and she said Jordan earned A-B honor roll and two “Top Trojan” awards, which she said reflected high averages in certain subjects.

>> READ MORE: Albany family says graduate with autism was shortchanged during honors and graduation ceremonies <<

But Jackson said her family’s celebration turned “cloudy” after what she described as unequal recognition during the school’s honors ceremony.

Jackson said she believed Jordan also qualified as an honors student based on his GPA and expected him to be called with other honors students in alphabetical order.

She said when honors student names were called, Jordan’s name was skipped and instead he was later recognized as a “graduate of distinction.”

Monday, the school system released a statement regarding the incident. In the statement, DCSS emphasized Jordan’s accomplishments and said that school leaders are proud of his hard work.

“Every child deserves to feel seen, valued, celebrated, and like they belong,” Superintendent Kenneth Dyer said as part of the statement. “That commitment extends to every student in the Dougherty County School System, including students with disabilities and exceptionalities.”

Read the statement in full below:

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