A photography company involved in a row over proposed editing out of disabled children from school photos has denied that it is public policy.
The families of three children at Aboyne Primary School in Scotland were removed from images sent via an internet link, giving parents the option to order a photo without them in it.
There was a massive backlash to the announcement, with First Minister, Humza Yousaf, describing the incident at the school as “really dreadful”.
Now, the boss of the photography firm Terence Tempest was unable to explain why parents had been given the option and vowed to launch an investigation into the incident.
The school has come under fire after the announcement was made
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Tempest suggested that the freelance photographer may have decided to do it.
The 70-year-old told MailOnline: “We’re heartbroken. We have released a statement but at the moment I’m just trying to find out what stimulated this and what the hell happened.
“It’s just unacceptable, I don’t know what’s happened. It’s certainly not a policy of ours. We had a crisis meeting this morning, we are having another one this afternoon.
“Of course, I understand how upset the families must be, I would be too. If I was in that position I would want an apology. I don’t run the company and I’m in touch with the managing director at the moment and they will decide what to do.”
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Natalie Pinnell said that she feels like her daughter was “erased” GB News One of the parents impacted was mother-of-two Natalie Pinnell, 38, who said she was left “devastated” after her nine-year-old daughter Erin was omitted.
Speaking to GB News she said: “We got our photos of our children. And my eldest got two versions of that class photo delivered. In that email, there were two options, one which included her [daughter Erin] and one that didn’t.
“After a further investigation with the photography company, they had consciously decided to give two options for two classes one which included the kids with complex needs and one that didn’t.
“She appears slightly different to some of the other children in the class, but she is part of a mainstream school that focuses on inclusion. There’s absolutely no reason why she should be excluded from it, or the parents should be given the option to exclude her from the picture.”
A spokesperson from Tempest said it “regretted any upset” caused.
It added: “We are a family-run business and photograph at schools across the UK and would like to reassure our customers that this is not standard procedure for our company and we are taking this matter very seriously.
“We are committed to implementing meaningful changes to prevent such an occurrence in the future.
“We deeply regret any upset this has caused and would like to sincerely apologise to the parents and children affected.”
Aberdeenshire Council has apologised for the incident
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A spokesperson from Aberdeenshire Council said: “While this was not a decision taken by the school, we absolutely appreciate the distress and hurt this has caused some parents and carers and we are sincerely sorry.
“Aboyne is an inclusive school and every single child should be included, engaged and involved in their learning and school experiences.”
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