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UNIONVILLE, Tenn. — It's an enviable position for many high school students, something many aspire to — becoming homecoming king. For three students in a small Tennessee town, it's an honor they wanted to bestow on someone very special at their school.
Scotty Maloney is a junior that everyone at Community High School knows. He suffers from a rare genetic disorder called Willims Syndrome, which affects his cognitive development and appearance.
The disorder also left Maloney with an exceedingly friendly and open personality. He's beloved by all 500 students in the school.
This year, Jesse Cooper, Drew Gibbs and Zeke Grissom were all nominated for homecoming king. Together, they decided that no matter who would win the crown, they should turn it over to Maloney.
"I've been blessed with so many things," Cooper told Nashville's WKRN. "I just wanted Scotty to experience something great in his high school days."
Cooper ended up winning the popular vote, but rather than announcing his name, the principle told the gathered school and community what the trio had planned. He called Maloney onto the court of the homecoming basketball game to take the honors, which came in the form of a medal placed around the boy's neck.
Maloney got a standing ovation that lasted for more than 30 seconds.
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For the first time in his life Thursday night, Greg Zenas laced up his cleats and ran onto a soccer field."It was just a ton of emotion from everybody," Grissom told WKRN. "I think I saw Scotty shed a few tears. I know Jesse was pretty emotional. We were all emotional out there on the court."
Maloney could be seen wearing the medal at school for days after the celebration. Teacher Liz Hestle Gassaway said the gesture did far more than make a high school student very happy; it sent a message.
"We want people to have more empathy towards people, not be scared of people with disabilities," she told WKRN. "We want them to embrace them, more like the boys did."
Not only did Maloney receive the medal this year, he'll be able to place one around next year's winner.
