A goodluck story for any kid who's been bullied

SCOTT Maloney has always stood out. He suffers from a disorder that affects his speech and slows his learning. But the popular kids embraced him with a touching gesture.  

Scott Maloney

THIS is something you wouldn't see in many schools.

Three boys from a high school in Tennessee decided as a group that instead of accepting a nomination to be the school's Homecoming King - they'd jointly forfeit the crown in a touching gesture to brighten another student's life.

Jesse Cooper, Drew Gibbs and Zeke Grissom were the nominees at Community High School, but decided to give the honour to Scott Maloney, a fellow student with a disorder that blunts speech and slows his learning.

Scott Maloney, who suffers from Williams Syndrome, was cheered on by the crowd and given a standing ovation at the Homecoming ceremony as he was invited to step forward and accept the medal.

"I've been blessed with so many things," Cooper told ABC News.

"I just wanted Scotty to experience something great in his high school days."

Gibbs added: "He's always happy, so he deserves some recognition for who he is."

It's not the sort of thing you expect to hear the popular kid to say.

Grissom said the beloved teenager is somewhat of a cult hero at the school - and truly deserved the medal.

"It was just a ton of emotion from everybody," Grissom said.

"I think I saw Scotty shed a few tears. I know Jesse was pretty emotional.

"We were all emotional out there on the court."