62 year-old Edmond Aviv was ordered by a judge to carry out a sentence that would probably have a major impact on him for the rest of his life. On Sunday, the Ohio native held a sign that read about his bullying ways at a busy suburban intersection in Chicago, Reuters said. Aviv was convicted of bullying his neighbor's family, of which the husband and several of the children had disabilities and use wheelchairs.
Aviv wore a hat and dark sunglasses, perhaps to shield himself from the many jeers and taunts he received from many passerbys upon spotting the sign. The sign in its entirety read, "I AM A BULLY! I pick on children that are disabled, and I am intolerant of those that are different from myself. My actions do not reflect an appreciation for the diverse South Euclid community that I live in."
Aviv was found guilty of calling Sandra Prugh "Monkey Mama" as she was holding her adopted, disabled African-American children. The man was also found to have been the one smearing dog feces on the Prughs' wheelchair ramp, Reuters said. According to Prugh in court documents, the harassment she and her family received from Aviv went to 15 years.
Aviv submitted a no contest plea to fourth-degree disorderly conduct in March. Aside from handing out a punishment of spending five hours wearing the placard that was readable at least from 25 feet away, South Euclid Municipal Court Judge Gayle Williams-Byers also reportedly sentenced Aviv to 15 days in jail, 100 hours of community service, anger management classes, seven months in probation, and mental-health counseling, Reuters added.
On Aviv's Sunday punishment, a probation officer was nearby to protect the man and ensure that he carried out his sentence.
21 year-old Alex Simmons, who are a former neighbor of Aviv, said the man was also racist to anyone who passes by his house. Simmons added, "Parents told us to stay away from the house. He would just stand on the porch and just call us names. Justice had been served."
