A 6-year-old boy from Grants Pass, Oregon, arrived late for school in 2015. Mom Nicole knew that little Hunter would probably have to go to detention because his family had problems with their car.
Nicole visited his school during lunch. She only wanted to check on him to see how he was doing, but she got a lot more than she expected.
Hunter was in detention, but Nicole had to watch her son go through what many people would call a public humiliation.
She wasn’t happy, to put it mildly…
To make matters worse, the family car broke down just as Nicole was dropping off her son Hunter at school. Nicole was already in poor health.
Nicole did her best to get her son across the street to Lincoln Elementary School because taking the bus wasn’t an option; however, he showed up a few minutes late.
The poor boy knew he would be sent to detention, so he ran into the school crying. Nicole decided she would visit the school during lunch to see how he was doing and, if feasible, cheer him up. Nicole felt so bad about all of this.
“Sometimes Hunter isn’t ready, but most often, the tardiness is not his fault.” Nicole has osteoporosis, which makes it painful and difficult for her to function, particularly in the morning,” according to KDRV.
Hunter was seated by himself when Nicole arrived at the school. She was shocked when she found that her son was absent from school with the rest of the students.
The 6-year-old was seated with a white wall in front of him that prevented him from seeing or speaking with other children.
Hunter sat in tears, and a cup with the letter “D” was placed in front of him (for detention).
Hunter was humiliated and isolated in front of everyone, which broke his mother’s heart.
Nicole, like any mother, was morally outraged about how the school treated her son. The punishment appeared far too severe.
Hunter rarely arrived late to school, and on this particular day, he hadn’t arrived late enough to make up any missed assignments, which made Nicole’s anger even more painful.
Despite her inability to believe what she was seeing, the mother was not going to stand by and do anything about what had happened to her son.
Nicole photographed Hunter as he sat in his shame-filled cubicle because she knew she had to take action. The local community quickly caught fire after she immediately uploaded it to Facebook.
Hunter’s grandmother shared the photos on Facebook, where they received over 75,000 shares:
“This is my grandson, Hunter.” He’s a little first-grader. His mother’s car does not always start right away. Sometimes he’s a couple of minutes late to school. Yesterday, he was 1 minute late, which is what his mommy discovered they do to punish him! They have done this to him six times for something 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. Does anyone want to help me flood this lady’s principal with calls telling her how inappropriate this is?
According to the school’s rules, Hunter appeared to have been the target of bullying.
Snopes says that the school district got a lot of angry phone calls, and the school’s Facebook page was full of negative comments.
Others in Grants Pass wanted to lend a hand after the images went viral. Strangers had grouped to assist them with their car troubles, so they made it their mission to ensure Hunter was never late for school again.
Hunter’s parents were surprised when they arrived to pick up their car from the repair shop.
A few days later, Nicole and her family went to Kelly’s Automotive Service, expecting to hear that their car couldn’t be fixed. Hunter’s father, Mark Cmelo, was expecting more bad news about the car.
It was quite the opposite.
The car dealer worked with people in the neighborhood to buy them a new car and ensure it would be reliable.
Bill Meyer, a local radio host, and some Grants Pass and Medford businesses banded together to donate.
Mom Nicole, Hunter, and Bill Meyer at Kelly’s Automotive in Grants Pass via Facebook.
A Chrysler van’s keys were then given to Nicole and her family.
“You see that minivan sitting there?” asked Lisa McClease-Kelly of Kelly’s Automotive Service.
She handed Marc the keys to a Chrysler minivan and said, “That’s yours.”
The family was stunned and moved.
“I’m just blown away to see the community come together like this and see that there are still good people out there,” said the happy father, Marc.
Hunter’s story changed how the school handled its detention policies, and he got a car to ensure he reached school on time.
So that students wouldn’t feel embarrassed in front of their peers, they set up a classroom where someone would watch over them.
The people of Grants Pass demonstrated that where there is love, there is always hope in the act of charity that will benefit Nicole and her family forever.
This story’s ending warms my heart, and I hope the little guy has a much more positive experience with his teachers in the future. May God bless him!
If you believe that more people should be aware of this wonderful gesture and that the school made a mistake, please share this article!
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