Keaton Jones spoke out for the first time since the video of him describing the bullying he faces at school went viral.
“It’s gonna get better,” Keaton told WVLT TV in Knoxville, Tennessee after he got the support of celebrities around the country. “I promise it’ll get better.”
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Keaton’s mother, Kimberly Jones, posted a video of her 11-year-old son crying in her car after he was bullied at Horace Maynard Middle School. He said his classmates poured milk on his head, put ham in his clothes and threw bread at him during lunch.
“Why do you find joy in taking innocent people and finding a way to be mean to ’em?” Keaton said in the video. “It’s not okay…People that are different don’t need to be criticized about it. It’s not their fault.”
Keaton also inspired others who are bullied.
“If you are made fun of, just don’t let it bother you,” he said. “Stay strong, I guess. It’s hard, but it will probably get better one day.”
The video quickly went viral over the weekend, with celebrities inviting him to events and offering their support. Keaton’s sister, Lakyn, thanked everyone for the “love and support.”
In his interview with WVLT TV, Keaton said he has been bullied for most of his school career.
“It’s been pretty rough,” he told the station. “It’s been hard.”
Keaton’s school principal, Greg Clay, told Knox News that “action was taken with the children” who bullied Keaton. However, he said bullying is “not as rampant as the video would have you believe.”
Meanwhile, Keaton’s mother has been accused of being racist after a photo of her posing with a Confederate flag was found on Facebook. Lakyn defended her mother, insisting that her brother does not use the “N” word. When asked about the Confederate flag photo, she said it did not mean they are racist.
“I am from the South. You’ll see a million flags like that. Doesn’t mean we are racist,” Laykin wrote.
