It’s the same tale told time and again, sad as it may be. But one parent decided to get creative, and he may actually be getting some results. Kaukauna, Wisc. Resident Matthew Bent sick and tired of the bull shit runaround he got when he tried to have school officials address the bullies targeting his son. He called the cops. They told him to call the school resource officer—and we all know those rent-a-cops are a joke. He tried administration. They were no help either.

Finally, when Bent’s kid, who’s in the sixth grade, came home with a black eye after being body slammed in the school gymnasium and having a special necklace that his pops had given him stolen, Bent decided to take matters into his own hands. To hell with diplomacy. No, he didn’t go postal and take an AK47 to the principal’s office. And he didn’t kick the bully’s dad’s ass, either (although who could blame him if he did). Bent reached out to Facebook.

How many of those posts do you see in your timeline everyday that say “like to tell me my bald chemo head isn’t ugly,” or “share if you don’t believe in Satan.”  You know how annoying they can get and most of them are probably fake. But Bent’s was the real deal. He told the world of Facebook about his son’s ordeal and asked users to “like” to show their support and stand united against bullies. And you know what? The original post has received 378,436 “likes” in a little more than 24 hours.

“The reason I did what I did, I was bullied from seventh to ninth grade,” Bent told Green Bay’s ABC2. “Those were not the best years of my life. It was a horrible time. I know the feeling. It’s heart breaking and the hard part is hearing your son go through it.”

And the school is finally paying attention. It is interviewing those involved and has requested a meeting with the victim’s family.

“Kaukauna Area School District does not protect bullies,” Superintendent Mark Duerwaechter told ABC9. “We are committed to providing a safe and enjoyable place to work and to learn. Although, very difficult, we do look forward to working with the families that are involved in these situations that are unresolved.”

[Image via Facebook/Mathew Bent]