By Daniel Hartill,Staff Writer

TURNER – Though Joshua Hutchinson spent more than 11 years in Turner schools – earning popularity votes from his classmates and editing his school paper – he was prevented from graduating with his classmates Friday.

Instead of marching in Leavitt Area High School’s commencement ceremonies, he planned to spend the night at home, his refuge so many times before when his mental illness deepened.

“He didn’t create any problems,” said his mother, Nancy Hutchinson. “He just slipped through the cracks.”

Joshua’s parents say he’s been punished for his illness.

Diagnosed at 8 years old with dysthemia, a chronic form of depression, Joshua had a tough year.

Trying to cope without medication, he fell behind in his work this year. When it seemed he would be unable to catch up, meeting the routine requirements for graduation, he went to River Valley Alternative School.

Principal Patrick Hartnett told Joshua he would not graduate with his classmates, said Nancy and Dale Hutchinson.

“If he would have broken his leg, they would have made allowances,” Nancy Hutchinson said. Both she and her husband work as administrators at Tri-County Mental Health Services in Auburn.

The couple came forward with Joshua’s story Friday after reading a Sun Journal article about another Leavitt student who was banned from graduation exercises.

In that case, the boy in question was accused of being drunk for a class trip to Funtown USA. He protested, saying he was not intoxicated, but he reportedly admitted to swearing at a teacher.

“It’s a different case,” Dale Hutchinson said. “But maybe we can help somebody else.”

Leavitt Assistant Principal Michael Poulin declined to talk about the school’s graduation policies or whether any students would march in commencement who did not earn their diplomas. However, he did talk briefly about Joshua.

“He is no longer a student at Leavitt Area High School,” Poulin said. “He is a student at River Valley. That’s all I can say.”

As late as May 2, when the school sent its list of seniors to the newspaper, Joshua was listed with his classmates. To the Hutchinsons, it seems that Leavitt’s leaders have taken a desperately myopic point of view.

“It would be different if we’d just moved here,” said Joshua’s father. Joshua grew up with this class. He attended the school for all but the last eight weeks, his father said.

And everyone knows Joshua. His class voted him as “most involved” and “most class spirit.”

At this year’s homecoming, he painted himself red, the class color, and spent nights working on decorations.

He was a good student and even edited “The Buzz,” the school paper.

When Joshua fell sick, however, his schoolwork suffered. He grew increasingly impatient and frustrated in class. He didn’t do his homework. He’d leave school and shut himself in his room.

He left in April. He’s taking his medicine again, said his mother. And he’s getting better.

At River Valley, where he received some 1-on-1 help, his schoolwork improved.

This fall, Joshua plans to take classes at Central Maine Community College. He hopes to transfer credits to a pre-med program at the University of Vermont. His goal is to become a heart surgeon.

He’s already promised to come back to River Valley when he becomes a doctor.

First, though, he plans to graduate with its seniors on June 17, one week after Leavitt’s graduation. He’ll march to “Pomp and Circumstance,” but it won’t be the same.

Nancy Hutchinson tears up when she talks about the procession and parties and awards ceremonies at Leavitt.

“He was robbed of that,” she said.