The estranged father of bullied Tennessee student Keaton Jones has a social media presence that’s brimming with white supremacist memes and messages, according to TMZ.
Keaton went viral earlier this month when his mother, Kimberly Jones, shared a clip to Facebook in which he described the bullying he endures at Horace Maynard Middle School. He recounted how classmates made fun of his looks and poured milk on him in addition to how they teased him for not having any friends.
The short video prompted messages of kindness from a slew of celebrities and athletes, but it also shined a spotlight on the middle schooler’s family.
According to documents obtained by TMZ, Keaton’s father, Shawn White, has been behind bars at Knox County Jail since May 2015. He was jailed for a probation violation related to a 2012 aggravated assault conviction.
The father also reportedly shared several white supremacist memes to Facebook in 2014 before he was detained.
One post, published by the news site, features a polar bear with the caption “Holy f–k, I love being white,” while another post features the phrase “Aryan Pride” in glowing red letters.
White also reportedly shared a shirtless selfie, revealing the words “Pure Breed” and “White Pride” tattooed across his chest and stomach. His collection of ink also includes the letters “CWB,” which is a common abbreviations for a well-known gang — the Crazy White Boy, TMZ reported.
White’s alleged ties to white supremacy is just the latest twist in the insane story, which has dominated headlines since Keaton’s viral video was first shared.
Amid all the positive press, internet users uncovered a pair of photos that show Keaton’s mother posing with a Confederate flag.
In an emotional appearance on CBS, she explained they were “the only two photos on the entire planet that I am anywhere near the Confederate flag.
“It was ironic. It was funny,” Jones added, denying that she is a racist.
Since controversy began clouding the heartwarming story, Jones has deleted the video of Keaton and has turned all her social media accounts to private.
Efforts to raise money for Keaton sparked by his heartfelt message on bullying have also turned scandalous.
A GoFundMe campaign started by Joseph Lam — who says he does not know the family personally — raised more than $57,000 before it was put on hold.
A spokesperson for the fund-raising site said the money is being held until a beneficiary can be confirmed.
