It was a crisp Fall day in 2016 when Thaddeus Bullard first set his sights at Sligh Middle Magnet School. He dropped by and asked if he could throw a birthday party for the students who were celebrating the milestone in that month. Thad had never had a birthday party growing up and he knew there were other kids in similar situations. He bought a cake, the kids gathered in the gym, and he sang happy birthday to them. They played basketball and laughed and celebrated. He was a WWE Superstar who performed under the name Titus O’Neil and he returned the next month and the next month…The kids all grew to know him as “Titus.” And
with every visit, they learned about his life story.

Thad’s mother was raped at 11. He was the product of that rape. He had a disruptive childhood and was told he would be dead or in jail by the time he was 16. He was sent to the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranch where there was discipline but stability. He was on the verge of getting kicked out of program for fighting when he was pulled aside. He was told he wasn’t a bad kid because there’s no such thing as a bad kid.

They loved him and they believed in him.

Those words changed the trajectory of his life.
With a community of support rallying around him, Thad became one of the top high school football recruits in the nation; graduating from the University of Florida with two degrees. He served as student body vice president, played in the NFL, and is now known as WWE Global Ambassador Titus O’Neil.

Two years after that first birthday party, with a newly formed nonprofit Bullard Family
Foundation, Thad saw an opportunity to blaze a trail at Sligh, which sits within a zip code that records the sixth highest percentage of children living in poverty in the state of Florida. Sligh would be the model example for the world of what transformational impact looks like at the intersection of corporate and community giving.

Today, the Bullard Family Foundation has more than 100 corporate and community partners who give generously of their time and resources at Sligh. Students receive the opportunity to grow with programming around leadership, art, technology, and sports. Teachers and administrators feel supported and appreciated. And parents receive workforce development training and wraparound support services. After just one year, Sligh experienced a 67-point total gain on state assessments in the spring of 2019, which ranked first among Hillsborough County middle schools. During the course of 2020, overall attendance was up, incidents of student misconduct and suspensions were down, and teacher retention was at an all-time high. Before the cancellation of the 2020 state assessments, Sligh was on pace to surpass the gains
of the previous year.

Outside of Sligh, each year the Foundation provides free backpacks, school supplies, haircuts, and medical, dental, and vision services at its annual Back To School Bash. Just recently, 1,000 volunteers helped stuff 30,000 backpacks for distribution. Throughout the year, teachers at underserved communities are surprised with lunches to thank them for their hard work. Students received laptops and technology to aid in the transition to e-learning during the pandemic. The Foundation distributes food throughout the holidays and stepped up in a big
way during the pandemic, even delivering food directly to the homes of families in need. The Foundation has built 5 innovation labs at schools in the Tampa Bay Area which double as incentive rooms during the school day and a safe space after school. During their annual Joy of Giving event, students receive gifts and their parents are connected to support services. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

On July 27, the Hillsborough County School Board will vote to rename Sligh to the Thaddeus M. Bullard Academy at Sligh Middle Magnet School.

We have watched Thad in action at Sligh, where the students all know him. It’s easy for celebrities to just write checks or come see the students for photo ops. But Thad invests his time, year after year, in the students and community, because to him, we are family, and to us, he's our family. That's why we're eager to honor him in this way, to make sure his legacy lives on, just like his impact on this school and community.

Renaming the school to honor Thad is also an easy way to help bring attention and encourage the public, not just the local public, but the worldwide public, to support the mission of the Bullard Family Foundation. That mission is to provide families and children everywhere with moments, programs, and resources to help build character and improve outcomes in our community.

By signing this petition, you are sending the right message to the kids and the staff who work hard at Sligh and doing your part in supporting the transformation of this community and honoring a legacy that is everlasting.

Thank you for your support.

- Keith and Monica Harris