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PACKWOOD, Iowa -- An Iowa principal is making a gutsy sacrifice to back up one of his students.

The principal from Pekin Schools in Jefferson County let a student shave his head in front of all his classmates.

The boy handling the razors is 11-year-old Jackson Johnston.

He shaved his head in support of his grandfather who was diagnosed with cancer.

Jackson says before his principal stepped in, he was made fun of for his new look.

"Right off the bat I had two mean comments, like 'well you look like you have cancer' and like other stuff like 'hi bald boy,” Jackson told WHO-TV.

"I had a couple options at that point bringing in the individuals who had questions but I thought deeper I said you know this is an opportunity to teach more than just what our handbook says and policy this is an opportunity to teach life,” said Principal Tim Hadley.

The principal tells students it's important to stand up for what you believe in.

Now that Jackson is feeling more confident, he plans to continue shaving his head until his grandfather is in remission.

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