Bullied Tennessee tween Keaton Jones will not return to school until at least the New Year, he and his mother revealed on Thursday.
Keaton and his mother, Kimberly Jones, appeared on Britain’s This Morning on Thursday to discuss his bullying video that went viral and the backlash they faced in the aftermath.
The 11-year-old told the morning show that he hadn’t been back to his East Tennessee middle school since the video of him crying after bullying pulled heartstrings across the world.
In the days after the video emerged, Keaton’s family was accused of being racist when a series of photos of them holding Confederate flags surfaced online.
It was also revealed that Keaton’s father is a white supremacist who regularly shared images relating to the Aryan Circle gang before he went to prison in 2015.
Keaton and his mother, Kimberly Jones, appeared on ITV This Morning on Thursday morning to discuss his bullying video that went viral and the backlash they faced in the aftermath
The 11-year-old told the morning show that he hadn’t been back to his East Tennessee middle school since the video of him crying after bullying pulled heartstrings across the world
He told his mother that he didn’t want to return to the school at all, and Kimberly said she is still deciding what to do.
‘He has maintained the entire time, even at the highest high when everybody in the world wanted to come and have lunch with him, that he didn’t want to go back to school,’ she said.
Kimberly added: ‘I’ve struggled anyway [in deciding if I should sent him back], especially being this close to Christmas break.
‘But after seeing how big it got we thought maybe we should let it die down a bit before we made any decisions so we could kind of have a reality of what life was going to be like.’
Union County school officials meanwhile have confirmed that Keaton was in fact that victim of at least one recent bullying incident.
In a statement to media, the Tennessee school district where Keaton is a student said bullying isn’t allowed.
‘We must provide an academic environment that is safe, civil and supportive,’ Union County Public Schools director James Carter said in the statement. ‘We do not and will not tolerate bullying and have a policy in place’ that addresses it.
Kimberly said they decided to speak out about the bullying at Keaton’s school after it ‘got to a point where there was absolutely no way we could keep our mouths shut anymore’.
Focus: Kimberly said that she had no problem with people hating her but hopes they will continue to support her 11-year-old son
‘I would say [the bullying got] pretty bad,’ she said. ‘I’ve had several people ask why Keaton didn’t tell or why I didn’t tell. I did talk to administration when I enrolled Keaton.
‘More than that I’ve tried to raise all three of my children that you can’t change the world you can only be who you are.’
Days after the video of Keaton went viral, photos emerged on social media of the Jones family posing with Confederate flags.
Since then, they’ve faced massive backlash, and Kimberly has since apologized for the photos.
‘I’m an adult, I know who I am,’ she said. I’m obviously sorry that it has offended so many people. But the backlash to my children…
‘The “truth” that keeps coming from people who have no idea. My entire family has been judged and sentenced from two pictures… ‘
Earlier this week, Kimberly defended herself against accusations that she and her family are racist after the photos emerged online.
‘I feel like anybody who wants to take the time to ask anybody who I am or even troll through some other pictures, I mean I feel like we’re not racist,’ said Kimberly Jones on Tuesday. ‘I mean, people that know us, know us.’
Response: Kimberly Jones appeared on Good Morning America (above with son Keaton) to address accusations that she and her family are racist
Offensive optics: The mother of bullied Tennessee tween Keaton Jones has been attacked after photos emerged of her (above) and her son posing with Confederate flags
Explanation: She said of the photos: ‘It was meant to be ironic and funny and extreme. I am genuinely truly sorry. If I could take it back, I would’
The mother-of-three then defended the Confederate flag pictures she and her daughter posted to their social media accounts by stating: ‘It was meant to be ironic and funny and extreme. I am genuinely truly sorry. If I could take it back, I would.’
Kimberly was joined by Keaton for the pre-taped segment, which aired on Good Morning America just 24 hours after many began to question her motives upon seeing these images.
She also addressed those who believe she is simply looking to profit of her son’s misfortune, pointing to the multiple Go Fund Me accounts that have been launched in the past few days for Keaton.
She explained that only one of those pages has her blessing and the others are fake. That official Go Fund Me has since been frozen with $58,000 in donations already received bu the account.
The mother also urged people to try and look beyond their misgivings about her and continue to voice their support for her young son.
‘They want to hate me, I mean, whatever, that’s fine, but still talk to your kids,’ said Kimberly of her detractors. ‘Talk to your kids because this is – this is – this is an epidemic.’
Kimberly filmed Keaton tearfully asking why people bully after picking him up from school.
Keaton Jones’s father, Shawn White, has been in prison since May 2015 for a probation violation related to a 2012 aggravated assault conviction. But before he was locked up, he shared a series of Facebook photos wearing an ‘SS’ sweatshirt and showing off his ‘Pure Breed’ and ‘White Pride’ tattoos
In one image, White (right) and friends hold up a hand sign connected the Aryan Circle, one of the largest white supremacist gangs in US prisons
Family matters: Union County public school officials did confirm that a bullying incident did occur recently involving Keaton (Kimberly and her three children above)
The 11-year-old boy claimed that other students call him ugly, make fun of his nose and tell him he has no friends.
Keaton also alleged that milk was poured on him and ham shoved down his clothes by these bullies.
‘Just out of curiosity, why do they bully?’ asked Keaton while looking directly at his mother’s camera phone.
‘What’s the point of it? Why do they find joy in taking innocent people and find a way to be mean to them? It’s not OK.’
He then went on to say while tears streamed down his face: ‘People that are different don’t need to be criticized about it. It’s not their fault. If you are made fun of, just don’t let it bother you.’
The video had more than 20 million views by Sunday and prompted an outpouring of support from celebrities including actor Chris Evans, Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker, University of Tennessee wide receiver Tyler Byrd, retired race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and singers Snoop Dog and Katy Perry.
Kimberly quickly shuttered all her social media accounts once the confederate flag photos began to emerge online.
There were also claims that a PayPal account soliciting donations was launched by someone under Kimberly’s name.