When fourth grader William Gierke came home from school crying one day, his mother was heartbroken. That day, William had worn a pink breast cancer awareness shirt to school that day with the message “Tough Guys Wear Pink” written on it.

William had been excited to wear the shirt, and when his classmates asked him why he wore it, he said that he simply likes the color pink. His fellow students started bullying him as soon as they heard this, calling him a “sissy.”

As he cried, William told his mother that he was too afraid to go back to school. She encouraged him to be strong and go back the next day, and when he did, he was in for a major surprise! William was stunned to see that his teacher, David Winter, was wearing a pink shirt!

David explained that he wore the shirt so that William would feel supported and “feel safe at school.” This small act of solidarity meant everything to William, and it sent a message to the other students that they won’t soon forget.

“I feel more comfortable,” William said after seeing David’s shirt. “I don’t let it bother me anymore.”

We’re so glad that David decided to take action and let William know how loved he is! In doing this, he also taught his students that bullying someone over their clothing is never acceptable behavior.

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