Arizona high school causes controversy by dedicating yearbook pages to teen parents

MESA, Ariz., May 21 (UPI) -- An Arizona high school principal has been dealing with calls from angry parents after the school decided to donate two pages in its yearbook to students who are parents or who are expecting.

Mesa High School's 255-page yearbook has donated pages No. 40 and 41 to honor parents who are balancing children and school, titling the section, "I'm working a double shift."

Principal Jim Souder declined to elaborate about the nature of the complaints he has received or reveal how many he has received.

"A yearbook is to commemorate the achievements of the students, particularly the senior class," Mesa Public Schools spokeswoman Helen Hollands told the Republic. "Probably this would not fall into that category." She did add that the school is "100 percent behind" the students who are featured in the "Double Shift" section.

"When you look at the pages at first you think it is of a child development class," Merkley said. "But then if you look closer you see the photo of the boy hugging the belly. I think that was unnecessary."