A Noblesville student with Down syndrome can walk at graduation, thanks to mom's fight

NOBLESVILLE — After petitions, social media activism from the Noblesville community and a Facebook Live broadcast, Lisa Hipkiss will see her daughter walk.

Chloe Hipkiss, a Noblesville High School student with Down syndrome, was previously told she could not participate in spring commencement. The school had reasoned that, since Chloe's Individual Education Plan would not be complete until 2019, she must wait until then to walk.

Lisa felt her daughter deserved to do this with her graduating class — the kids she grew up with at Noblesville. Chloe is non-verbal and fighting a rare neurodegeneration disease.

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A Facebook post Saturday morning encouraging the community to reach out to school administrators racked up 1,527 shares. Later that day, a page called Rogue Money went live with Lisa. That video was viewed nearly 7,000 times.

By Sunday, the school had changed its stance. In an email, school principal Jeff Bryant apologized for "any stress" caused by the misunderstanding:

"This email is to inform you that Chloe will be able to participate in the 2018 Commencement ceremony. She will receive her certificate of completion when the Case Conference Committee determines that she has appropriately met her goals and completed her programming at Noblesville High School. I've shared in previous emails exactly how that works but I can answer any additional questions you may have.

"I apologize for any stress this caused you or your family. I hope you understand that this was never a personal decision by me or any other administrator at Noblesville. We simply were following board policy and past practice.

"It is now my understanding that we did not share the appropriate information with you at the Case Conference in November. We may not have been clear on our policies and practices at NHS and that is our fault. We can and will do better.

"Again, I hope that you can accept my personal apology."

"I was shocked," Lisa said. "I had to read the emails a couple times. ... I opened it up and I was very shocked. I think I cried.

"I was happy, you know. So, I told Chloe and she — she's not very verbal — but she just hasn't been in the best of moods. She got the biggest smile on her face and has been in the best mood."

Up until a few weeks ago, Lisa assumed the plan was for Chloe to walk now, and complete schooling next year. They took senior photos and made sure everything was in order for the big day. Even in the school's year book, Chloe was listed as a senior.

"I went to go pick up her cap and gown two weeks ago, and they're saying she can't walk," Lisa said before the school changed its stance. "She just wants to walk with her class, to be a part of her senior class. And now they're saying no."

Noblesville High spokesperson Marnie Cooke told IndyStar then, simply, that Chloe had not yet met her personal graduation requirements.

"All students who complete program requirements for graduation are eligible to participate in commencement," she said.

The Indiana Department of Education said the decision was strictly local, as there's no statewide guideline. An IDOE spokesperson was not aware of any previous cases similar to Chloe's, in which a special needs student wanted to walk early.

Chloe has competed with the Hamilton County Special Olympics team for years. She stopped recently because her rare sickness — Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA) — weakened bones at the base of her skull, making it dangerous to compete.

Lisa wasn't sure that, this time next year, Chloe would be able to walk across the stage unassisted. With that worry pushed aside, mom has a graduation party to plan for.

"For two weeks, I couldn't do anything," she said. "They put a big damper on (Chloe's open house). This should have never happened, but now we've got to get everything ready."

You can find IndyStar reporter Dakota Crawford on Twitter: @DakotaCrawford_.