11-year-old boy with last name 'Trump' bullied into changing surname

An 11-year-old boy who is routinely tormented at school because of his presidential last name has decided to go by a different surname.

Josh Trump, a student at Talley Middle School in Wilmington, Delaware, has endured bullying at the hands of his classmates ever since Donald Trump announced that he was running for president in June 2015, according to his mother, Megan Trump, and stepfather, Bobby Berto.

His mother told WPVI that Josh, who is unrelated to the president, has suffered serious emotional distress because of the relentless teasing.

"They curse at him, they call him an idiot, they call him stupid," his mother told the station. "He said he hates himself, and he hates his last name, and he feels sad all the time, and he doesn't want to live feeling like that anymore, and as a parent that's scary."

Although Josh's stepfather pulled him out of class in favor of homeschooling for a year, he said the bullying resumed when Josh returned for sixth grade.

Trump and Berto said they decided to reach out to WPVI after Brandywine School District ignored their complaints about the issue. In response, Mark Mayer, principal of Talley Middle School, met with Josh's parents and launched an investigation, which resulted in five students being disciplined.

Administrators also agreed to grant permission for Josh to switch bus routes and change his surname in the school system to his stepfather's, in hopes it would put an end to the tormenting.