9 year old William Gierke from Wisconsin was really proud of his T-shirt.
But he came home from school crying and heartbroken.
His classmates had bullied him and called him a “sissy” – because the T-shirt was pink.
William Gierke, 9, wanted to show his support for cancer sufferers, which is why he picked out a T-shirt that was close to his heart.
“Tough Guys Wear Pink” was emblazoned across the T-shirt, which was sold to support a breast cancer charity. Sadly, his classmates weren’t very kind about the T-shirt. William was bullied and called a “sissy” for wearing pink.
William’s mom Tomi was completely heartbroken when she saw her son come home from school choking back tears. His classmates’ mean comments had made him not want to go back to school the next day. The mom had no idea what to do to help William. But luckily, the boy had a very attentive teacher…
The teacher took a stand against bullying with a kind gesture
When William went to school the next day, he was ready for more teasing and unkind remarks. Then he saw what his teacher, David Winter, was wearing. The teacher was very attentive, and had seen how much bullying William had endured because of his T-shirt. So he had decided to wear a pink shirt himself – to show solidarity with William.
It may seem like a small gesture, but it meant the world to William. And above all, it was a message to all students that bullying people for their clothing is never OK.
“I feel more comfortable, I don’t let it bother me anymore,” William said after his teacher took a stand against the bullies.
