You are right. It could have been a mistake, but like Liz says, why would anyone at the school choose a photo of two unrelated people in a racist pic (it would have been considered so back in the 80s, even if it was funny, that is the dark humor of it) to place on that person’s yearbook page?
A high school mixing up people’s names (like in your case) is one kind of error. Finding a Halloween racist joke photo that is unrelated to the person and putting that photo on their medical school page or anyone’s page is highly unsavory. If there was a Costume Party Page, and the school included that pic, no problem. But why would some yearbook worker put THAT photo on the page of a student for posterity? Doesn’t make sense.
“but like Liz says, why would anyone at the school choose a photo of two unrelated people in a racist pic (it would have been considered so back in the 80s, even if it was funny, that is the dark humor of it) to place on that person’s yearbook page?”
Good point. Occam’s razor. They wouldn’t.