A Texas mother is calling for justice after her 9-year-old son came home from school in tears, claiming that the very teacher he turned to for help joined in on his bullying instead of stopping it.
Shy Jones of Richmond, Texas, shared a viral TikTok video showing her son, Chance, recounting how classmates mocked him and called him “gay.” When he asked his teacher for help, he says she told him that people might be calling him gay “because of how he walks” — a remark that left him humiliated and in tears.
“I was arguing with the little boy and he was calling me gay,” Chance explained in the clip. “So I went to tell the teacher, and she said maybe it’s because I walk this way. I really got sad and angry.”
Shy Jones
According to Jones, her son had been bullied for weeks, but her repeated reports to the school went unanswered. The final incident ended with Chance pushing the student who teased him — a moment of frustration that led to a disciplinary write-up and in-school suspension (ISS).
“What hurts most,” Jones told Houston’s KPRC 2 News, “is that the person he trusted to protect him made him feel smaller than ever. And when I raised the issue, I was dismissed.”
The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District has confirmed that it is investigating the incident. In a statement, the district said:
“Our campuses are expected to be safe, supportive environments where every student is treated with dignity and respect.”
Dr. Ashwani Tiwari, department chair of Urban Education at the University of Houston-Downtown, said the case highlights the serious psychological risks tied to school-based discrimination.
“If a 9-year-old is complaining about bullying, we have to listen,” he said. “When these issues are ignored, the long-term effects — from depression to suicidal ideation — can be devastating.”
Jones’s video has since garnered thousands of views and widespread outrage online, sparking debates about bias in schools and the treatment of LGBTQ or gender-nonconforming children.
“Accountability means action, not apology,” Jones said. “My son deserves to feel safe at school, not shamed by the adults who are supposed to protect him.”
As the district’s investigation continues, parents and advocates across Texas are urging stronger anti-bullying measures; and for educators to be trained not just to intervene, but to model empathy and inclusion in the classroom.
