AMHERST – In addition to allowing photos of Souhegan High School seniors Quinn Glover and William Marks to appear in the yearbook this year, school officials apparently approved a roughly quarter-page advertisement dedicated to Glover that ran with many others in the book’s “Community” section.

Glover and Marks, both 18, are accused of taking part in the October Mont Vernon home invasion and assaults that left Kimberly Cates, 42, dead and her daughter, Jaimie, seriously injured. Glover and Marks, along with Stephen Spader and Christopher Gribble, of Brookline, have been incarcerated while awaiting trial since their arrests two days after the Oct. 4 murder.

Controversy over the decision to include their photos – and now, apparently Glover’s text – began to swirl after the yearbook, titled “Life Souhegan Style,” came out a week ago. Cates’ husband, David Cates, decried the decision Thursday in a scathing letter to SAU 39 Superintendent Mary Jennings and Principal Jim Bosman, calling it “disrespectful” and “a slap in the face” to him and his daughter.

On Friday, school officials issued written public apologies to David and Jaimie Cates and Souhegan High parents for “adding unintended pain” and causing “additional heartache and concern” with their decision to publish the photos.

The Souhegan Cooperative School Board’s next scheduled meeting is June 17, and it is unknown whether a special meeting will be convened before then to discuss the matter.

Jennings and Bosman said the decision was made several months ago following “lengthy discussions” among school administrators, yearbook staff, Glover’s and Marks’ parents and the Community Recovery Group, which was formed after the murder to help the community cope and recover.

Despite their arrests and the charges, Marks and Glover were never expelled from the school system, Jennings and Bosman said earlier this week. The administrators did not specify whether they considered expulsions at the time of the arrests or what the expulsion process entails.

Bosman said the two continued to receive educational services from the district, but he said details of how that takes place are confidential according to the district’s privacy policy. He did say the two could earn enough credits to graduate.

The advertisement about Glover, which appears toward the end of the Community section, includes the lyrics to a song called “Morning Glories” and a lengthy list of people, places and things of apparent importance to Glover. It’s unclear whether the text was submitted by Glover or by someone on his behalf.

The fallout has touched off a firestorm of online protests, as well, with scores of readers posting comments to stories on area and state news websites.

Glover, whose head was shaved at the time of his arrest, is pictured with long, blond hair in the yearbook photo. Marks, who has short, dark hair, appeared to be photographed indoors.

“In light of the recent yearbook controversy, we want to say that we are extremely sorry that decisions made by our school have added to the pain and loss that Dave Cates and members of our community feel every day in relation to the death of Dave’s wife and harm to his daughter,” Jennings and Bosman wrote in a brief statement issued Friday.

“We are committed to supporting Jaimie and her family through the remainder of her school years. We are deeply sorry that our decision … has caused the Cates family and the community additional heartache and concern.”

In a separate e-mail to Souhegan parents and students, Bosman cited teachers’ and students’ efforts to reach out to people in Mont Vernon, especially children at the Village School, to act as positive role models and to hasten community healing from the incident.

“Jaimie Cates and her classmates have been courageous and we are proud that our students were able to help with the healing,” he wrote.

With the Souhegan campus already buzzing with activity during the last couple weeks as graduation and the end of the school year approach, Dean of Faculty Peggy Silva said the yearbook controversy and resulting media crunch have greatly distracted the students, especially the seniors, and taken the attention away from their accomplishments and endeavors.

“With all the exemplary work that’s being done here, it’s just so sad that the media comes to talk about two students who made horrible decisions rather than the 200 who have done such remarkable things,” Silva said. “That’s where the stories are.”

Dean Shalhoup can be reached at 673-3100, ext. 31, or dshalhoup@nashua telegraph.com.