Cyberbully? Shaquille O’Neal mocks man with rare disorder

Jahmel Binion, 23, has been teased his entire life.

He has ectodermal dysplasia (ED), a rare genetic disorder characterized by missing teeth, abnormal hair growth and an inability to sweat.

And while he's been mocked for his appearance before, the Madison Heights, Michigan, man was not expecting to have celebrities mock one of his selfies.

On Instagram, Shaquille O'Neal posted a side-by-side comparison of himself making a contorted face and Binion's selfie with the caption: "Smile today."

"I was confused," Binion tells MLive.com of his initial reaction to Shaq's insult. "I was thinking, 'Man, he's supposed to be this role model, someone everyone is supposed to look up to.'"

"If Shaq does something like this, then (everyone who follows him) will think 'We should do this.'"

Binion showed MLive.com photos of rapper Wacka Flocka Flame and former University of Michigan athlete Trey Burke also participating in the mockery.

O'Neal's Instagram post has since been removed, but not before calls of cyberbullying started circulating.

Two weeks after O'Neal's cruel Instagram post, Binion launched his own anti-bullying campaign, called "Hugs Don't Judge."

Binion's movement is now going viral.

On the Facebook group's wall, countless photos of smiling supporters — many of them with ED — rally around Binion, thanking him for turning the bullying into encouragement for others like him.

"It feels like I'm not alone," Binion says of the more than 4,500 group members from all over the world. "People are supporting my side of the story."

The National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias posted an open letter to Shaquille O'Neal:

"All of us at the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias (NFED) are terribly disappointed by the hurtful image that you and others recently posted on social media about a member of our family, Jahmel Binion, who is affected by ectodermal dysplasia. Individuals affected by these rare, genetic conditions often face a lifetime of bullying and negative remarks because of their appearance, which others may consider 'different.' Bullying is never acceptable and we, as a nation, have had some devastating consequences as a result of bullying. However, to be called out on a celebrity's social media and made fun of is especially reprehensible. We applaud Jahmel for reacting to this cyberbullying by establishing a positive social media campaign called 'Hug Don't Judge,'" wrote executive director Mary Fete yesterday.

"Mr. O'Neal, we welcome this opportunity to enlighten you about the ectodermal dysplasias and how we could work together for positive change."

O'Neal has yet to comment on the offensive photo.