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The Florida Dad who stormed his cerebral palsy-stricken daughter's school bus to confront the heartless bullies who had been tormenting her, apologized Tuesday for losing his temper.
James Willie Jones (pictured above center), who was caught on video reprimanding the kids on his 13-year-old daughter's school bus is sorry for allowing his rage to get out of control. The father is seen on the tape yelling, using profanity and angrily gesturing and threatening the children and bus driver, after he found out that the kids had thrown unwrapped condoms at his daughter and also hit, spit, pinched, poked, pushed and taunted her since the first day of school.
Jones read from a written statement in a voice that was cracking and filled with emotion and said that no parent should mimic his actions:
"At that time, I was a bully. And I apologize again for that. If you see the tape, I feel like I was backed up against the wall as a parent. I just didn't know where else to go. We definitely don't want to promote that. We don't want vigilantes going on buses, threatening kids, because kids have rights too."
The video, which has been seen by thousands on news shows and on YouTube, has ignited a much-needed discussion on the subject of bullying in our schools and how to best deal with the problem. As a matter of fact, Jones said he has received e-mails, phone calls and other messages of support from people around the country.
Jones was charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing a school function for his Sept. 3rd display in Sanford, which is near Orlando. He later posted $2,000 bail and was ordered to stay away from the driver and county school buses. Some parents in the area said, however, that they understood Jones's desire to protect his daughter but disagreed with how he acted.
Attorney for the Jones family Deianna Brown (pictured above left) is working on getting the charges reduced or dropped for her client. She is also hoping to get Jones to speak on the subject of bullying as community service. The 42-year-old Dad has expressed that he would like to advocate against bullying in schools.
Jones's daughter, who stood up for another child who was being bullied on the school bus, had the tables turned on her and as a result had an emotional breakdown. She was placed on suicide watch at a nearby hospital. According to Jones, she will not be returning to the middle school. "I just can't let her go back there," he said.
According to the Associated Press, school spokeswoman Regina Murray Klaers said in an e-mail last week that Jones did not express concerns to school administrators about his daughter but did report an incident involving another girl. That incident was investigated and appropriate action was taken, Klaers said.
On the other hand, Jones' wife, Deborah McFadden-Jones (pictured above right), said they noticed a change in their daughter's behavior since school began this year. She left messages with a school guidance counselor, but oddly enough, never heard back.
Comments: (19)
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By: Lahelama on 9/22/2010 1:39PM
I totally support this parent
The school's administrators need to be taken to task for allowing this to go on so long. I can't believe that they will kick a child out of school for drawing a picture of a gun or writing a provocative poem but would actually allow the physical and direct verbal abuse of a child in their charge!!
I Support you Mr. Jones!!
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By: blackwomansecret on 9/23/2010 9:58PM
I could not have said it better.
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By: dvine on 9/22/2010 11:43AM
even if the father never contacted the school.. doesn't the bus driver have ears?! y didn't he/she speak up or notify the school officials?! the guidance counselor should be put on notice as well if in fact the mother left voice mails and the counselor never responded.
As parents, we need to take the time out of our busy schedule and go to the school and do a face to face meeting so they know you are serious and concerned..
i wish these schools would take more initiative in making things better for children who are being bullied instead of waiting till the child takes their life over it..
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By: BG on 9/22/2010 1:24PM
AT WHAT POINT DOES A PARENT BECOMES A PROTECTOR OF A CHILD? A DEFENSELESS AND DISABLED CHILD FOR THAT MATTER.
When the system fails in its power to punish an assailant and all these psychopaths, then I as a parent will step in say 'WHAT YOU BRING TO SCHOOL IS YOUR BOOKS AND BRAINS AND NOT ALL THESE GUNS AND BULLYING. YOU TOUCH MY CHILD, THEN YOU ANSWER TO ME'
This parent must not be coerced in any kind of way. Often, we are the victim of our dumb way of reasoning.
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By: Heat on 9/22/2010 3:23PM
I hate to hear stories like this. Dude didn't do nothing wrong in my eyes but stand up for his daughter.....No way I would've apologized....in fact I would've just used the time they wanted to give me to apologize to reassert the fact that "I'll bust anybody azz that touches my family".
Hell the little boy who started all this appears to have gotten off and is now somehow the victim in the story. Now when he grows up and startes beating and raping women the world will be asking why no black man intervened when he was younger to show him the right way. Well your answer is, he got locked up while trying. Everybody thinking that having a black man role model is just about hanging out and doing homework with these youngins ...but sometimes they learn to do right only b/c they realizing that if they screw up and for instance touch a woman wrong then they will have a "Black Role Model" like James Jones to deal with.
Much Respect for protecting your family homie.
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By: DC on 9/23/2010 2:09PM
It is instintive for the male of the species to protect it's young, there is only one that feels this more than the male, the female, the mother.We have become so concerned with protecting the innocent child from the horrible adult that we overlook the act that started it all, by a coward who preys on those weaker. One who has no fear of repercussions for their acts and garners the approval of classmate. No one will say anything for two reasons FEAR and "Don't snitch", about the kid. How about some community service for that bully. Because of this incident this family has been affected forever the father has a arrest record, that will affect future employment. The child while trying to live a normal life will now live in fear, the peace and security of loving parents to care and protect her is GONE.
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By: tired of POOR ME attitude on 9/22/2010 4:32PM
So this guy was arrested because he confronted the bus load of THUGS IN TRAINING? He has nothing to apologize for. A strong father protecting his daughter from little low life scum (boys and girls) who, most likely, don't have fathers in their house. Shameful display of pack mentality. I would kick their asses too. Animals
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By: tia on 9/22/2010 7:27PM
I love a "man" who protects his family and I'll support that all day long. God bless you James Willie Jones.
and I'm with you Heat, my husband would not have apologized and I agree that some reassertion to an azz whooping should have been PROMISED.
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By: duke on 9/23/2010 9:10AM
The other kids on the bus should have stopped this bull s--t. one day they may need help and everyone will just laugh and think its ok. The bus driver is responsible for every kid on his bus. The school is reponsible for the safty of the kids. This kid needs to be stoped now for one day he will fine out everyone does not take a ass whipping.
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By: sedated on 9/23/2010 10:14AM
It seems odd to me that the video tapes of a loving father defending his handicapped daughter made it to "Officials" so much sooner then the videos of these little animals tossing "skins" and spitting on his daughter. Where is the sense in that? The school system had evidence on tape of the abuse that this poor girl endured. Why wasn't something done then? I stand with the Father and admittedly would have done exactly the same thing. And really, do you think such disrespectful little Bas-ards were shocked and offended by the use of profanities? My guess is they had heard them all before, probably minutes before they left for school that morning. GO DAD!
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