Delaware boy bullied over Trump name to be president's State of the Union guest
WILMINGTON, Del. -- A Delaware boy allegedly bullied because his last name is Trump will be one of the president's special guests at the State of the Union address Tuesday night.
Sixth-grader Joshua Trump will be seated with first lady Melania Trump.
"He was getting ridiculed and bullied for the fact that his last name was Trump," Joshua's father Bobby Berto told ABC7's sister station WPVI-TV in December.
"They curse at him, they call him an idiot, they call him stupid," said his mother, Megan Trump.
Joshua's parents say the bullying started when Donald Trump began running for office.
"I pulled him out of school and homeschooled him for a year," his father said.
When Joshua moved to middle school, his parents thought things would change.
They even said they met with school officials and teachers to tell them about Joshua's past problems.
"I do know the teachers were aware of the last name, and I know in speaking with the student that the teachers do their very best to try not to say his last name," Mark Mayer, principal of Talley Middle School, said.
Joshua's parents say the bullying didn't stop.
"He said he hates himself, and he hates his last name, and he feels sad all the time, and he doesn't want to live feeling like that anymore, and as a parent that's scary," Joshua's mother Megan Trump said.
Mayer says after a meeting with Joshua's parents, there was an investigation. Five students were identified and disciplined.
"They were apologetic and they did say that they were sorry," Mayer said.
The school agreed to change Joshua's last name to his father's name in their system.
