National Post (National Edition)

Backlash against mom of bullied boy

- BEN RILEY-SMITH, MIKE WRIGHT AND DAVID URBAN

“They make fun of my nose. They call me ugly. They say I have no friends,” Keaton Jones, 11, says to the camera as tears stream down his face.

“Just out of curiosity, why do they bully?” asks the Tennessee schoolboy. “What’s the point of it? Why do you find joy in taking innocent people and finding a way to be mean to them. It’s not OK.”

This was the internet story of the year — a video showing a boy’s anguish garnering 20 million views and an outpouring of support from celebritie­s.

Katy Perry, the singer, tweeted: “This broke my heart. Please be kind to one another.” Justin Bieber, the pop star, called Keaton “a legend” for speaking out.

But now there has been an online backlash over his mother, who filmed her son and put the video on Facebook. Internet sleuths found photograph­s on Kimberly Jones’s Facebook page showing her and her son posing with the Confederat­e flag and she also faced criticism after GoFundMe accounts appeared, which allowed for people moved by the video to donate money.

On Tuesday, Kimberly Jones told Good Morning America the photos were taken in jest.

“It was meant to be ironic and funny and extreme. I am genuinely truly sorry. If I could take it back, I would.”

Kimberly Jones said “anybody who wants to take the time to ask anybody who I am” would realize she is not bigoted, adding: “We’re not racist.”

But questions soon arose about the mother’s motives as numerous fundraisin­g accounts linked to the issue appeared, one raising close to US$60,000 in three days. Kimberly Jones confirmed one of them had her blessing, but it had since been frozen.

She said of her detractors: “They want to hate me, whatever, that’s fine, but still talk to your kids because this is an epidemic.”

A representa­tive of Horace Maynard Middle School in Maynardvil­le, which Keaton attends, confirmed a bullying incident had taken place.

James Carter, the director of Union County Public Schools, added, “We do not and will not tolerate bullying and have a policy in place that addresses conduct taking place on school grounds, at any school-sponsored activity, on school-provided transporta­tion or at any official school bus stop.”

The video, which was posted on Friday, started to be shared widely on social media over the weekend and by Monday a growing number of stars had posted about Keaton and offered to meet him and his family.

Among them was Captain America actor Chris Evans, who invited the family to the première of his Avengers film next year, and Snoop Dogg, who also offered to meet, adding he would be a friend to the schoolboy “for life.”

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