Editor’s note: This article was originally published on October 7, 2021. It has since been updated. After years of being bullied for being deaf, a Nebraska high school senior received a wave of support from across the nation after he spoke up about the abuse he faced from his peers. Alex Hernandez, who was a student at Burke High School in Omaha, decided he had had enough when someone stole his backpack during the lunch period and dumped its contents into a toilet. A photo of the ruined belongings – which included school supplies, homework, a debit card, and Hernandez’s cochlear implant battery (which he needs in order to hear) – was viewed by many on social media after the 2016 incident was reported by a local station.