Theo’s Law: Protect Graduation Access for Students with Disabilities in Georgia .....forward thinking to land nationwide 
Created by: The Stoner Family

💔 The Issue
In 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdowns, our son Thelonious “Theo” Stoner, a profoundly autistic and nonverbal student, was supposed to graduate from Valdosta High School in Georgia.

Theo had earned his diploma. His cap and gown were paid for. His graduation plans were discussed. He was supposed to have his moment.

But when the pandemic began, Theo’s residential care setting went into medical lockdown. He could not leave safely, and no meaningful alternative was created for students like him who were unable to attend because of disability-related and medical circumstances.

There was no inclusive backup plan. No delayed walk. No equivalent recognition. No policy to protect students in facilities, under medical restrictions, or otherwise unable to attend through no fault of their own.

For years, our family kept asking for a solution.

And that is exactly the problem.

No family should have to spend years fighting for a student with disabilities to receive the same dignity, recognition, and belonging already given to every other graduate.

🔄 Why This Petition Must Move Forward
After five years of advocacy, Theo has finally been offered a graduation recognition opportunity in 2026. !!!!!!

We are grateful for that progress.

But this petition is no longer only about Theo.

It is about the students who come next.

It is about every student with disabilities, every medically fragile student, every student in a hospital, residential placement, treatment setting, or emergency restriction who might otherwise be excluded from one of the most important milestones of their life.

A student should not lose graduation access simply because they could not physically appear on one specific day due to disability, medical necessity, or circumstances outside their control.

That should never depend on luck, pressure, publicity, or how hard a family can fight.

It should be protected by policy.

⚖️ What Proposed “Theo’s Law” Would Do
Theo’s Law is a proposed Georgia policy and legislative effort to protect future students from being excluded from graduation ceremonies after they have already earned that milestone.

It would require school districts to provide a fair, timely, and dignified graduation option for students who have met graduation requirements but cannot attend the scheduled ceremony because of documented disability related, medical, or institutional barriers.

This proposal would help ensure that Georgia students are not erased from their own milestone moments.

Under proposed Theo’s Law, school districts would be required to:
✅ Create clear graduation access policies for students who cannot attend because of documented disability, hospitalization, residential placement, or medically necessary restriction.

✅ Offer an alternative, delayed, make-up, or equivalent ceremonial recognition within a reasonable time.

✅ Ensure graduation recognition is treated as an access issue, not a discretionary courtesy.

✅ Use objective documentation standards so families know what is required and schools cannot deny requests arbitrarily.

✅ Train staff and administrators on inclusive milestone-event planning.

✅ Promote accountability so no family is forced to beg for a basic moment of belonging.

🗓️ Why This Matters
Graduation is not “just a ceremony.”

For many students with profound disabilities, it may be one of the only major public milestones of their life.

It is a moment of dignity. A moment of acknowledgment. A moment that says:

You mattered here.
You worked for this.
You belong.

When schools fail to plan for disabled students in extraordinary circumstances, the message becomes the opposite.

That exclusion leaves lasting harm not only for the student, but for the entire family.

💛 Theo’s Story Became a Statewide Call for Change
Theo’s story exposed a gap that should never have existed.

A student can do everything required to graduate, and still be excluded from the ceremony because no one planned for disability-related barriers.

That is not true inclusion.

That is a policy failure.

Theo’s Law was born from love, heartbreak, and persistence but its purpose now is forward-looking:

to make sure no future student in Georgia is denied this moment after earning it.

✍️ Sign This Petition
We are asking supporters, educators, disability advocates, lawmakers, and community members to stand with us.

Please sign and share this petition if you believe:

Students with disabilities deserve equal dignity in graduation.
Schools should be required to plan for documented disability and medical barriers.
Recognition of earned academic milestones should never depend on public pressure or private grace.
Georgia should lead with compassion, clarity, and inclusion.
Theo’s Law is about the future.
It is about fairness.
It is about dignity.
It is about making sure no student is left behind at the very moment they should be celebrated.

Please sign and share.

Names and story shared with permission. Contact information available upon verified request from media, lawmakers, or education officials.