Bunnie Xo has been showing her support for bullied kids when she reached out to a Tennessee middle schooler’s family and made shirts with the girl’s art in solidarity. The student was disciplined for drawing a picture of Bunnie and Jelly Roll for a school project after her teacher told her they were “inappropriate” subject matter. She was told if she turned in her drawings of Jelly Roll for the project there would be “disciplinary action,” according to the student. However, she continued with the project anyway.
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The Rutherford County School District began pushing back against the family’s claims of discipline, which sparked rumors of possible suspension or that the school was covering something up. On March 13, the school district posted a statement on Facebook.
School District Makes a Statement About Disciplined Middle Schooler
“We have identified the parent we believe is responsible for starting the original, completely false rumor about a student being punished for a drawing at school. We have reached out the parent directly but she has not returned our call, nor has she ever contacted the district or the school about any concerns with discipline,” the district wrote.
They continued, “We have confirmed that no student has been punished, reprimanded or suspended for any drawings of a celebrity. We have also reached out the original poster [Bunnie Xo] and asked for her to remove the inaccurate social media post, which resulted in threats and harassing statements directed at the school overnight and which required additional law enforcement resources at the school this morning.”
At the time, Bunnie commented on the post, writing, “We are being told that you guys are lying because you’re being called out. The parents have proof that their child was suspended for three days over this. So while we gather the right info, my post will stay.”
Bunnie Xo Gets Caught Up in Disagreement Between Middle School and Parent
The student’s mother, Delisa Patrick, made a video explaining the situation, claiming that the idea to make a response started with a conversation she had with other parents of the school. The student’s project was assigned in August 2023, and the mother assured viewers that her response was not a bid for “15 minutes” of fame or attention from Jelly Roll.
Delisa put her daughter in the video to explain what happened in her classroom, then Delisa said her daughter was sent home that day and also the next day due to bullying. There were rumors that the student had been suspended from school. However, the school has made its own claims of what happened.
Bunnie Xo attempted to support the student by making merch out of her art. The shirts were on their way to selling out when Bunnie stopped the sale due to accusatory statements being made about Delisa “with zero documentation.” She stated in a Facebook post that she is putting the money from the sales into a trust fund for the student, and has been in talks with her financial advisor as well as Delisa Patrick. She shared conversations she’s had with Delisa on social media, as well as statements from the school.
As far as this situation goes, it looks like the school and Delisa Patrick are at a stalemate at the moment. No further information has been revealed, and so far Delisa’s story and the school district’s story greatly contradict each other.
Timeline of Middle Schooler’s Discipline and Bunnie Xo’s Responses
- August 2023 — The school project is assigned to Delisa Patrick’s daughter, who attends school in Rutherford County.
- March 12, 2024 — Bunnie Xo made her initial post about the student’s dilemma, which has since been taken down from her Facebook page. In the post, she wrote, “For the project she drew a picture of us [herself and Jelly Roll], THE SCHOOL SUSPENDED HER because of how she drew me! … How dare they shame a child like this.” She then urged her followers to help her find the family.
- March 13, 2024 — The Rutherford County School District posted on Facebook in response to Bunnie Xo’s initial post about the situation. The school district identified the school directly on Facebook, and stated that Delisa made false claims of discipline. They also stated that they asked Bunnie to take down her post claiming suspension. “We have confirmed that no student has been punished, reprimanded or suspended for any drawings of a celebrity,” the school district wrote in part.
- March 14, 2024 — Delisa Patrick posted a response on Facebook, which has since been taken down. The video is still available on TikTok. In her video, she claims that her daughter was sent home from school. The same day, Bunnie announced she was dropping merch using the student’s art that afternoon. In the initial post, she stated that all proceeds would go toward the family.
- March 15, 2024 — Bunnie makes another statement explaining why she ended the sale. She claimed that “a lot of the things were coming forward about the mom. Tons of accusations with zero documentation.” She then stated that all the money from the sale would go into a trust fund for the student with the help of Bunnie’s lawyer and accountant.
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