The Utah boy who was bullied by a substitute teacher because he was being adopted by two gay dads told a national television audience Friday morning that he “went red” and “was very mad” when it happened.
“The teacher insulted my family,” 11-year-old Daniel Van Amstel said. "She first said, ‘Why would you be happy to be adopted by them?’”
He told “CBS This Morning” co-host Tony Dokoupil that, despite the efforts of girls in his class to get the teacher to stop, “She kept going. And she said, 'Are you going to be gay?'" Daniel said. “And I have no idea.”
The incident occurred at Deerfield Elementary School in Cedar Hills the week before Thanksgiving. The substitute teacher asked the fifth graders what they were grateful for, and went off when Daniel said he was grateful his two dads — Louis and Josh Van Amstel — were adopting him.
When the teacher — who has since been fired by the staffing company that provides substitutes to the Alpine School District — began her anti-gay diatribe, “the girls stood up for him," Louis Van Amstel said.
Two of the girls — identified only by their first names — also appeared on “CBS This Morning” to recount what happened that day in school.
“He was just sitting there quietly answering the questions and looked really scared,” said Demi.
“All of us were uncomfortable," said Sophie, “and so, like, I didn’t want to be any longer in that situation and so I just had to stop it.” She tried to change the subject while Demi went to the principal’s office.
"I mean, I was a bit scared to go in there,” Demi said. “But after that, I knew I was doing the right thing.”
The principal escorted the substitute teacher out of the building. And Daniel said he's glad she's been fired.
"I feel she could have done better,” he said. “Even if she didn't like it, she didn't have to say that. But I'm glad she got her lesson taught. It's called karma, so.”
Louis Van Amstel said he and his husband have not spoken with the teacher — they don’t even know her name — but that he “would love to have lunch with her.” But Daniel reacted quickly and negatively to that.
“I do not like her," he said. “If I ever saw her again, I’d probably have a heart attack.”
And the boy, who had been through five foster homes and one failed adoption before he was adopted by the Van Amstels, repeated his gratitude to his two dads on Friday, the day after his adoption was finalized.
"I am thankful for my dad and dad, my family, my dogs and everybody that I live with now," said Daniel, adding that Louis and Josh Van Amstel “discipline me when I do bad things, they help me, they keep me out of trouble, and they give me sometimes what I want.”
“That's beyond sweet,” said “CBS This Morning” anchor Gayle King, who called Daniel “so wise beyond his years.”
And co-anchor Anthony Mason added, “I love hearing about a heroic moment in a classroom, when Demi and Sophie see that Daniel is struggling and take it upon themselves to change the conversation. It’s very brave.”
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