Muslim student identified as 'Isis' in yearbook 'too scared to return to school'

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (FOX 11) - A Muslim student incorrectly identified in her senior yearbook as “Isis” is says she is too scared to return to school after all the hate messages she’s received following this incident.

Bayan Zehlif says she's worried for her safety and spent most of Monday at the Council for American-Islam Relations in Anaheim. That's where she told FOX 11's Christine O'Donnell about the "roller-coaster of emotions" she's felt since the yearbook was released Friday.

"I'm very sad, I'm very embarrassed. I feel a lot of people are looking up to me to find out what happened and to stand up for the people who do get discriminated against.," Zehlif said.

The Los Osos senior learned Friday that there was a candid shot of her pictured in the yearbook, but the name below, wasn’t hers. it as “Isis Phillips.”

"It feels like more than a coincidence," Zehlif said."

Zehlif says at first she tried not to take it too seriously and even laughed about it.  She posted it on Twitter and Facebook saying “I guess I'm Isis in the yearbook.” That post has now been shared thousands of times.

"When I saw how much attention it was getting I realized that it was messed up and that’s when it starts to sink in," Zehlif said.

The District Superintendent for Los Osos High School Mat Holton says the caption was a “regrettable mistake.” and that there was another student who recently transferred to another school who had that name.

"The name was that of another student on campus, it’s Isis. That was obviously was a misidentification, Holton said.

Zehlif says while some students have been supported, she's seen more hate than she imagined.

"It makes you forget about all the support your getting because you know those people. you’re supposed to be proud to be one of them graduating with them. Now i’ scared to even watch on graduation," Zehlif said.

There's about 3,000 students who attended Los Osos High. The superintendent says nearly 300 yearbooks with the "mistake" were distributed. They are recalling all of them.

As for school, Zehlif says she doesn't plan to finish off the school year, but will attend graduation on May 19th. She says family flew in from Jordan to see her walk across the stage. Still, she's nervous about what will happen when she does.

Watch the full video report above.

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