When Sean and Ashley Long moved to the United States from China, they worked hard to save money for a home. The family wanted their 5-year-old son, Ethan, to get a good education and chose to live in Loudon County, Virginia. But their dream soon turned into a nightmare when a group of middle school students began to harass and bully their preschooler. Someone allegedly posted a video of the older kids bullying Ethan in a chat group set up by Eagle Ridge Middle School students. When his parents saw it, their hearts broke.
According to News 4, a parent reportedly saw the video posted online and went to the Longs’ home in tears. Ashley and Sean could hardly believe what they saw. The family shared the video on GoFundMe, and the kids’ actions are truly horrific. During the video recorded on April 5, 2025, an older child calls Ethan a racial slur. The terrified boy runs onto his porch yelling, “No! Don’t hurt me! Don’t hurt me!”
The child then yells for other children to save him, but no one stops to help. Instead, the video recorded several kids laughing as the racial slurs and bullying continued, News 4 reported.
“Are you having dumplings for dinner?” the child recording the video asks.
After a few minutes, Ashley Long opens the door and brings Ethan inside. She had no idea how bad the bullying was until she saw the video.
“Every time I saw that, my heart’s broken every time,” she told News 4. “As a mother, to see my son insulted by other older kids, my son’s only 5 years old. I just don’t know why those kids are so cruel to say that to my son.”
Sean Long said the kids called Ethan “King Kong.” The preschooler doesn’t know what the name means, and now the father is conflicted.
“Should I keep lying and say, ‘Yes. They’re calling you King Kong because you’re strong?’” he asked, becoming emotional. “Or should I try to explain to him what does that word and why they’re saying that to you? It’s hard.”
Ashley Long said no one tried to help Ethan, which shocked her. “Nobody came to step out and to say, ‘Stop,’” she recalled, per News 4. “Nobody think this is not right. They just laughing. Yeah, nobody stood up.”
Sean Long added, “We thought that this would be a great place, however though, it ended up like this. So, what hurts me most is then, where else should I be? That hurts me most, not just the words.”
Eagle Ridge spokesperson Dan Adams told News 4, “The school division does not condone the behavior and is quite disappointed. Even though this child [Ethan] is not an LCPS student, we have offered this student counseling and potentially restorative practices.”
Family friend Vivian Li-Verdino shared the couple’s story on Facebook along with links to the bullying video on several social media sites. She wrote, “This happened to our friends’ five-year-old. My heart broke watching that video. It shouldn’t happen to any kids. Let’s work together to make our community better.”
The video shocked followers. One wrote, “I am so sorry for this innocent little boy and his parents. I truly hope those bullies are taught a powerful lesson so that they never even think of behaving like that again.”
Another person agreed and wrote, “This is truly awful. I hope that the school can do some education and sensitivity training … that poor child.”
The couple plans to sue, and Ashley Long created a GoFundMe account to raise money for legal fees.
The heartbroken mom wrote, “Our 5-year-old son, Ethan, was racially harassed by a middle school student in our own neighborhood. Despite reporting the incident to the school and police, accountability remains uncertain. We are raising funds to pursue legal action, protect Ethan’s rights, and stand against racial hate targeting children.”
She added, “Thank you for standing with Ethan – together, we can make sure hate has no place in our communities.” The family has raised more than $25,000 of a $30,000 goal thus far.
The Longs shared their story so other parents will open their eyes to the power of bullying and hatred.
“Let other families know and never say the bad words to the kids, never say racist words to other kids,” Ashley Long told News 4. “It’s not right.”
“I think children means the future,” Sean Long added. “If children are sinking down, then the future of this country is sinking down.”
