The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff, Wire Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 07:27 PM

Middle School Student Keaton Jones' Mother Says She's Not Racist Despite Social Media Backlash After Son's Bullying Video

Middle school student Keaton Jones stole the hearts of people across the nation with his emotional message to bullies. In an interview, Keaton told reporter Donovan Long how he dreads going to lunch because his classmates poured milk over his head, stuffed ham in his clothes and threw bread at him.

The video posted by Keaton's mother, Kimberly Jones, caught the attention of thousands of people including President Trump's son, actor Chris Evans, and Knoxville native Kelsea Ballerini. Now, Keaton's mother is speaking out on the backlash she has received on social media over some of her other posts that show her with Confederate flags.

Keaton told CBS News it was his idea to make the video.

"I had enough of it. They had said that someone was going to beat me up in lunch so I texted my mom and I said 'what do I do here?'" Keaton commented to CBS News.

Keaton claims he was targeted by five middle-schoolers. "He became more and more agitated and didn't want to go back to school," Keaton's mother, Kimberly Jones, told CBS News.

The attention from Keaton's video has also placed other social media posts by his mother under the spotlight. One of his mother's social media posts includes a picture of her holding a Confederate flag. Her daughter's Twitter also had a family picture with a Confederate flag.

"The only two photos -- the only two photos on my entire planet that I am anywhere near a Confederate flag. It was ironic. It was funny," Jones said.

When CBS News asked if the pictures had anything to do with racist intent, Jones declined and said she had spent most of her life being bullied for not being racist.

The Horace Maynard Middle School student now has friends and fans around the country due to his video that started a national conversation about bullying.

"It does get better. It will get better just don't let them ... Stay strong, don't let them push you around too much," Keaton said in a message to other kids who are being bullied.

Union County Director of Schools Jimmy Carter told Local 8 News he's investigating the bullying allegations brought to light by the video. In a statement, the school system said, "We do not tolerate bullying."

Local 8 News learned of two little known resources to report and stop bullying. First, each school district is required by state law to have a designated bullying investigator. Officials encouraged parents to reach out to the principal and ask for that person. Second, if the bullying continues, the TBI has a special hotline to file complaints at 1(800) 824-3463.

It's also recommended students should go to an adult at the school they trust. In Keaton Jones' case, that trusted adult was his first period teacher.

"She said that if anyone picks on me to let her know that to get to me, they'd have to get through her," Jones said.