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.
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