In 2015, a 6-year-old boy from Grants Pass, Oregon, was late for school. As a result, Hunter’s mother, Nicole, paid a visit to his school during lunch.
She merely wanted to check in on him to see how he was, but she got much more than she bargained for.
Rather than seeing Hunter in detention, as she feared due to the automobile issues, Nicole witnessed her son being subjected to what many would consider a public humiliation. It suffices to say that she was dissatisfied.
Furthermore, Nicole’s bad mood was exacerbated by the fact that the family car broke down just as she was about to drop off her son Hunter at school.
This added to the already stressful situation and made Nicole’s day even worse.
To make matters worse, the school’s disciplinary action for Hunter’s tardiness was something that Nicole felt was unnecessary and unjustified.
It led her to question the school’s policies and approach to dealing with students who are late for school. Overall, it was a day that Nicole would rather forget.
Nicole tried everything she could to get her son across the street to Lincoln Elementary School because taking the bus wasn’t an option; yet, he arrived a few minutes late. Hunter burst inside the building in sobs, knowing he would be detained.
Nicole felt deeply sorry for everything, but she decided to pay him a visit at lunchtime to check how he was doing and, if possible, cheer him up.
“Hunter isn’t always on time, but most of the time it’s not his fault,” she thought. Nicole’s own health issue, osteoporosis, which makes it difficult for her to function, especially in the morning, was a factor that contributed to her son’s lateness.
Nicole arrived at the school and found Hunter sitting alone. Her child’s isolation from the other pupils at school astounded her. She felt angry and sad at the same time.
The school’s disciplinary action was not only impacting her son’s emotional well-being but also his social life. Nicole felt it was unfair, and it only added to her feeling of helplessness.
A white border in front of the 6-year-old’s seat prevented him from seeing or talking to other youngsters. In addition, a cup with the letter “D” on it was placed in front of him (for detention), and Hunter was sitting there sobbing.
Hunter’s public rejection and humiliation destroyed the mother’s heart. Nicole, like any mother, was shocked by how her child had been treated at school. The penalty appeared to be far too severe.
Hunter rarely arrived late to school, and he hadn’t arrived late enough that day to make up any work, which made Nicole’s rage all the more intense.
The mother’s eyes could hardly be believed, but she was not going to stand by and do nothing about what had happened to her kid.
Nicole snapped a picture of Hunter as he sat in his cubicle of shame, knowing she had to do something. She later shared it on Facebook, where it soon became viral throughout the neighborhood.
The picture was accompanied by a post describing the events of the day and her feelings of anger, disappointment and frustration.
This act of Nicole’s, was not only to raise awareness of the situation, but also to get the school’s attention.
The post received a lot of attention and people expressed their support for Nicole and her son. Some even went to the school to protest the school’s policy.
This helped Nicole to find support from the community and inspired her to take a stand against the school’s actions.
The photographs were posted on Facebook by Hunter’s grandmother, who received over 75,000 shares. In her post, she wrote “This is my grandson, Hunter. He’s a little first grader.
His momma’s car sometimes doesn’t like to start right up. Sometimes he’s a couple minutes late to school. Yesterday, he was 1 minute late; this is what his momma discovered they do to punish him!”
It appeared that the school’s policy had bullied Hunter, and many people were outraged. They have done this to him 6 times for something that is out of this baby’s control! They make a mockery of him in front of the other students!
The principal is responsible for this. His mom found him there, crying, and took him home for the day. Anyone want to help me flood this lady principal with calls telling her how inappropriate this is?”
The school district was flooded with furious calls and the school’s Facebook page was bombarded with bad reviews. After the pictures went viral, others in Grants Pass wanted to help.
They made it their mission to ensure Hunter was never late to school again. Strangers came together to help the family with their car problems, which made it possible for Hunter to arrive at school on time.
This act of kindness brought positivity to a bad situation and helped Nicole and Hunter to move forward.
When Hunter’s mom and dad showed up to pick up their car from the repair shop, they were surprised.
Nicole and her family turned up at Kelly’s Automotive Service a few days later expecting to be told that their car was beyond fixing. Hunter’s father, Mark Cmelo, fully expected to get more bad news about the car.
But it was quite the opposite.
The auto dealer had joined forces with people in the community to buy them another vehicle and make sure it would be dependable. Several businesses in Medford, Oregon, Grants Pass, and a local radio host, Bill Meyer, joined forces to chip in.
This was a heartwarming gesture of kindness, and it showed the family that people cared about them and wanted to help.
Nicole and her family was then handed the keys to a Chrysler van. This was a huge relief for the family, and they were overjoyed.
They were touched by the community’s generosity, and they felt grateful for the support they had received.
This act of kindness not only solved the problem of transportation but also brought hope and positivity to the family.
“You see that minivan sitting right there?” asked Lisa McClease-Kelly of Kelly’s Automotive Service. “That’s yours,” she said, as she handed Marc the keys to a Chrysler minivan. The family was both shocked and moved.
They were touched by the community’s generosity and felt grateful for the support they had received.
“I’m just blown away to see the community come together like this and see that there’s still good people out there,” said the happy father, Marc.
This act of kindness not only solved the problem of transportation but also brought hope and positivity to the family.
In addition to receiving a vehicle that would ensure Hunter got to school on time, Hunter’s story changed how the school handled their detention policies.
The school designated a supervised classroom so kids wouldn’t be shamed in front of all their schoolmates. This was a positive outcome from the incident, and it shows that one person’s actions can bring about a change for the better.
Hunter’s story brought awareness to the issue, and it helped to create a more compassionate and understanding environment for students.
Let’s spread the word about this amazing act of kindness! Share this article on Facebook and let’s show everyone that there are still good people in the world who are willing to help others.
Together we can bring awareness to this situation and make sure the school knows that their actions were not appropriate. Let’s make a difference and give Hunter and his family the support they deserve!
