When Co-Workers Laughed About A 'Retard' Costume, This Dad Gave Them A Reality Check

Recently, Dustin Daughtry was eating lunch with co-workers when one of them started talking about a Halloween party he’d attended. He said, “My brother came to the party and had the best costume. He went as a RETARD! Oh man, it was hilarious!”

Dustin was taken aback. His daughter, Raegan, has Down syndrome, and he couldn’t believe that he was hearing adults use the word “retard.” Did they not know that the word is considered hate speech?

Rather than stay silent, Dustin made a move. He pulled up a photo of Raegan on his phone and placed it on the table. Then, he shocked the men with a proclamation of his own.

“This is my little girl, Raegan…She has Down syndrome,” Dustin announced. “I’m just wondering, is she what a retard looks like, to you?”

Of course, the man tried to backpedal and say that wasn’t what he meant, but it was too late. No doubt, everyone who was at that lunch table will think twice before using that hurtful word again.

The next day, Dustin’s wife, Shannon, shared what had happened on Facebook. She wrote, “There are so many words in the dictionary that you can use in place of the ‘R’ word. Please, for Raegan’s sake, consider using a different one.”