When a Texan mom named Star found out her son was bullying classmates, she didn’t just sit him down for a chat. She went all in with an unconventional lesson that’s now dividing opinions online.
Her son had been calling his peers names like “idiots” and “stupid,” behavior that teachers at Greenleaf Elementary flagged to her. Instead of simply scolding him, Star wanted her son—and everyone else—to see the weight of his actions. Her solution? She sent him to school wearing a T-shirt that read: “I AM A BULLY.”
For Star, this wasn’t just about a one-time punishment. She wanted to make a statement—to the school, her community, and even thousands of strangers on Facebook. Posting a photo of her son in the shirt, she explained her no-nonsense parenting style, unapologetically declaring, “I don’t sugarcoat things for my kids.”
In an interview with KTRK-TV, Star said her goal was to hold her son accountable and help him truly understand the pain he caused. She even encouraged her son to apologize directly to the classmates he had hurt. “I want him to know how it feels,” she explained, adding that he learned a valuable lesson after experiencing the embarrassment himself.
Not everyone agrees with Star’s approach. Critics argue that public humiliation isn’t the answer and could do more harm than good. A child psychiatrist at Baylor College of Medicine suggested a focus on constructive interventions, like counseling or support programs, rather than shame.
But Star stood firm. The school district backed her right to parent as she saw fit, and Star believes her son’s discomfort taught him a lesson he won’t soon forget. “He realized he doesn’t want anyone else to feel the way he did,” she said.
The internet, however, remains deeply divided. Some praise Star’s tough-love approach as a wake-up call for her son, while others see it as unnecessarily harsh.
What do you think? Is Star’s tactic the tough love kids need—or a step too far? Share your thoughts and join the conversation!
