When Aubrey Fontenot’s son Jordan confided in him about being bullied at school, Fontenot immediately took action. As a concerned parent, he contacted school officials to address the issue. Fontenot explained that his 8-year-old son frequently faced problems with an older boy and that the bullying was an ongoing problem. He emphasized the impact such behavior can have on a child, expressing his concern for his son’s well-being. Fontenot recalls, “I asked my son about it, and he told me the boy was messing with him and being too rough. I wanted the school to understand that incidents like this could be overwhelming for a child, and we didn’t want Jordan to suffer in silence. They assured me that they would handle it.”
Shortly after, there was another incident involving the boy, leading to the disappearance of Jordan’s phone. Distressed, Fontenot found himself back in the school’s office, engaging in a conversation with the principal and a police officer regarding the incident. It was during this discussion that he learned about the bully, Tamarion, an 11-year-old boy who was in dire need of assistance. Fontenot expressed his surprise, stating, “They insinuated he was homeless. I was like ‘Oh ok I didn’t realize that, wow that makes a lot of sense.'”
During his conversation with Tamarion’s mother, Fontenot confirmed the family’s unfortunate circumstances of homelessness. With the mother’s permission, he decided to personally speak with the boy. Fontenot discovered that Tamarion was experiencing feelings of jealousy towards Jordan due to his clean clothes. The young boy revealed that he was being mocked by other children because they considered his shoes to be cheap and his clothes dirty. Motivated by empathy, Fontenot took it upon himself to take Tamarion shopping and provide him with new clothes the following week.
“I accompanied him on a shopping trip and purchased some clothing for him. During our time together, I engaged in conversations about morals, principles, and the importance of self-respect. Although he is not very talkative, I managed to encourage him to open up,” Fontenot shared. “My intention was to assist both him and my son, and improve their circumstances. I reassured him that he is a wonderful person and that his current situation does not define him as a bad person. Furthermore, I emphasized the significance of maintaining a confident posture and mindset, regardless of the challenges one may face. This world can be unforgiving, but it is crucial not to allow negative remarks or actions from others to diminish your self-confidence.”
Fontenot also arranged a meeting between Tamarion and Jordan, where they had the opportunity to talk. “They each got to express themselves, and then I told them, ‘From this point forward, you are nothing less than brothers. Look out for each other,'” he shared. He emphasized the importance of his son understanding that “not all battles are fought with physical force. It’s tempting to react based on our initial emotions, but sometimes we need to be clever in handling a situation.” Fontenot documented a part of their outing in a video that he shared on Twitter. In the video, he can be seen encouraging a shy yet smiling Tamarion to sing.
I recently had a meaningful encounter with my son’s school bully. I wanted to understand the underlying reasons behind his behavior, so I took the initiative to talk to him. It turns out that he was being bullied himself because he didn’t have clean clothes and shoes. Curious to know more, I asked him why. To my surprise, I discovered that his family is currently experiencing homelessness. This revelation compelled me to take action. I took to social media and shared the story, which quickly gained attention and support. In response to the overwhelming response, I decided to create a GoFundMe page to assist Tamarion’s family. Thanks to the generosity of others, we were able to raise over $31,000, providing them with the necessary support to get back on their feet.
