The Associated Press released an article about a student who settled a lawsuit against New York for the lack of action teachers took against bullies beating him up. News of kids being beat up because they are gay, effeminate, poor or simply different is not uncommon.
What makes this story great are the parents.
The teen is referred to as Jacob. His parents stood by him, and didn’t let the possibility of retaliation from the community deter them from seeking justice. They stood up to say the school was wrong. They didn’t stop at the school. The family took the fight to the school district. They fought for what was right. They fought for the purest reasons…they simply loved their kid and hurt because he was hurt.
His dad was quoted as saying:
“He is one of the greatest, loving, timid kids you could meet,” says Jacob’s father, Robbie Sullivan, who does not share his son’s last name. “I love him to death, and he doesn’t give me a bit of problem at all.”
The father didn’t say anything like, “our son is gay and we love him no matter what.” He said that he loved his son as a person. His dad talked about his Jacob’s character and said more in a few words than could have been said in paragraphs about parental tolerance.
Kudos to Jacob’s family.