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Kaylee Goncalves' name missing from University of Idaho graduation program, Internet calls it 'a bad move'

Though Goncalves' name was left out of the list of graduates, the university authorities remembered the four slain students during the ceremony

This article is based on sources and MEAWW cannot verify this information independently.

MOSCOW, IDAHO: The name of Kaylee Goncalves, one of the victims of the brutal University of Idaho murders, was missing from the graduation list during the University of Idaho commencement ceremony at the ICCU Arena in Moscow on Saturday, December 10, 2022.

According to KXLY, though Goncalves' name was left out, the university authorities remembered the slain students during the graduation ceremony. During the event, President C Scott Green said, “It’s been a rough few weeks for our community." 

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“I want to acknowledge an enormous loss in our vandal family recently. Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Maddie Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves were taken from all of us far too soon by a senseless act of violence," he added. Further, he claimed, “They were bright lights on our campus and cherished members of our community. Let’s honor their memory with a moment of silence right now, followed by a song by the Vandaleers that honors the students we lost as well as those students graduating today.” Later, the mass observed a moment of silence for the four slain students at the program, reported KXLY. The event witnessed around 550 students taking the stage to accept their diplomas.

'I just can’t understand why they wouldn’t'

Goncalves' name missing from the list of graduated students sparked a discussion over the issue online. Nancy Loo, West Coast correspondent of New Nation, wrote, "Kaylee Goncalves would’ve been marching in now with other U of I graduates. Sadly, her name is not in the program. #Idaho4 #idahomurders@NewsNation." To which a user wrote,  "Shame on you @Idahouniversity."

Another claimed, "That is shocking. Surely Kaylee’s name should be in it as graduating posthumously. There’s obviously a reason for it. Maybe her parents asked for it not to be in it? Not sure why that might be but, maybe so."

A tweet read, "I think it is in very poor taste that U if I didn’t give her a posthumous degree degree. I just can’t understand why they wouldn’t."

A user claimed, "It seems as though the university wants to distance themselves from the horrid crime. Their focus is on image and optics for students who enroll in the future; i.e., the tour video they just released yesterday. It portrays all roses and unicorns for life at U of I."

Another added, "She worked so hard to be able to graduate. They should’ve given her a chair with her name on it and allowed the parents to come up and get her degree. That’s just so wrong."

A user explained, "Take a breath all. Students who graduate in December very commonly “walk” in May. Did you report on the moment of silence? Nope. Did you ask anyone at U of I what the family wanted? Nope. This is why you have no business reporting on our tight knit community."

A tweet stated, "Bad move, not to mention her name in the program. I do believe I heard that there will be a moment of silence/reflection for them during the ceremony. No one wants to ruin a happy occasion. However, the fear that the community feels lingers and cast a huge shadow over it."

Another explained, "She very much earned that degree, and the university should have acknowledged it. How sad."

One user said, "Really should have included her name, not only did she work for that but they should have done something special for her today and left a chair for her as well, very disrespectful, highly."

"I feel for the parents.. like her Dad said, they sent her to College, and they gave her back in a box. The university should have honored these young students," another user tweeted.  

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.