Millions have seen the video of James Jones boarding a school bus to confront the students who were allegedly bullying his young daughter. NAPT announced that Jones will be part of a larger discussion on bullying at the upcoming NAPT conference in Portland this October.

It was a video clip that defined not only Jones frustrations, but the frustrations of many parents of children who have been bullied. Within a matter of 72 hours, a Facebook page created in support of Jones included nearly 4,000 members. For NAPT, it was an opportunity to get insight into what led him to board the school bus that day.

“We, like everyone else, have been following the news about James’ story, and I was able to reach out to him,” said NAPT Executive Director Mike Martin. “He’s a genuinely nice person who seems very contrite about his actions and is interested in making a positive difference on the issue. It seemed like a very logical partnership and a great way to make something positive from a negative situation.”

On Monday, Nov. 1, Jones will be part of a panel discussion on bullying, which will include representatives from numerous levels, including possible law enforcement, school administration, parents, students and school transporters. Martin said he was also reaching out to people within the Portland area to join the town hall-like forum to have a larger discussion and better understand the frustrations that led to Jones’ actions. Martin added that the event could lead to ways that NAPT and its members can better work with parents in general and can integrate them into an effort to try to solve the problem.

The issue of bullying will also be addressed during a keynote presentation called “Creating an Environment Where Everyone Can Learn: Addressing Bullying and Harassment in Our Schools” that will feature Kevin Jennings, Assistant Secretary of Education and Director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe & Drug Free Schools.

NAPT also announced the release of a white paper on bullying, "NAPT BELIEVES: Bullying is Unacceptable," which discusses the association's stance on the issue, bullying on the school bus and how school bus drivers should deal with bullying.