Lexington principal sheds layers of clothing to show how some students experience bitter cold

The decision to close schools due to the brutal cold is a hot button issue that has people debating across social media.

A Lexington principal is putting "cold days" into perspective with a viral video.

Liberty Elementary Principal Gerry Brooks posted

to Facebook Thursday. He doesn't say any words. Instead, he holds signs explaining part of the decision-making that goes into closing school due to cold weather.

"It's very hurtful when people question the decisions that we make because we don't make them lightly," Brooks said. "My whole point was to help them understand why it is we made that decision, why the district made that decision, why schools close. It's for the protection and health of our students."

In the video that has thousands of likes and shares, Brooks said while some students have the winter gear necessary to withstand single-digit temperatures, some simply do not.

"We may have warm jackets and warm hats and we may have a warm car to drive us to school, but we have thousands upon thousands of students who don't have those," he said. "It's heartbreaking when you see a student come in with paper towels in their shoes because their feet are cold or their hands wrapped in toilet paper."

Instead of debating the topic on social media, Brooks is calling on people to "be a participant, not a bystander."

"If you have the financial ability, go out and buy a warm jacket and some warm gloves and hats and drop it off at your local school. We have tons of students, no matter where the school is located, we have students that are in need," he said.

To watch more of Brooks' videos,

.