Family Claims Autistic Son Hit On School Bus

sherri79

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The parents of 9-year-old boy have filed a lawsuit against a school bus company claiming two bus attendants abused their son, who is autistic and blind.

The boy's parents took pictures of the boy to document the scratches and red marks they said were left on their child after the bus attendants repeatedly pinched the boy while he was on a First Student school bus.

"There has been an outrageous sequence of events," said the family's attorney, Eric Block http://www.news4jax.com/news/15704714/detail.html
 
I wish I could say I found this even remotely shocking.
Having an autistic child and dealing with the Florida school system I can say is nothing for the weak of heart or will.

I have had more bus drivers and aides and even a few teachers fired then I can recount.

I really would just love to be in a room with these sadistic dirt balls for like 5 minutes.
 
"Mysteriously that video has disappeared. As if that's not outrageous enough, in March, it happened again," said Block.

Block says when the mother discovered new bruises on his body, she asked him what happened.

"He said he was beat by the bus driver," said Block.

And his mother was forced to call First Student again.

"Why was this not reported by the bus driver? Why was this not stopped by the other attendant?" Said Block.

Block says it wasn't until the second incident that the woman who alledgedly beat the boy was fired.

"The point is, it's outrageous. It shouldn't happen once much less twice. Oh, and by the way, the video of the second incident has also disappeared as well," said Block
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=105463
 
I read that Sherri!!

Little unknown fact about Florida school bus's although almost all districts have the little box to hold the camera on each bus the majority of bus's do not actually have a camera on them.
They often have a small few through out the district that they move from bus to bus.
 
When our autistic son first started riding a school bus, I was terrified of abuse. The very first thing I had written into his IEP was that he was never to be alone on the bus. He could not be the first, or the last child picked up/ dropped off. I made it very clear that it wasn't because I didn't trust the bus drivers, (like hell), but that in the event of an accident and the driver was knocked unconscious, My son was unable to mentally, or emotionally go, or call for help. Worked like a charm...I had a few trusted older kids I treated with goodies occasionally to watch out for him.
 
Absolutely shameful. Just awful!

Why take these types of jobs if you can't deal with kids?
 
Absolutely shameful. Just awful!

Why take these types of jobs if you can't deal with kids?

Ya got me! My husbands sister teaches special education and hates kids!!! :waitasec: Can't figure it out myself.

Yo9u know I came right out and asked her! She said the benefits were great and she loved having summers off:eek:
 
Wow, Linda, that's scary.
 
At least he could tell someone what happened. My youngest is non-verbal and can't tell me what happened if she gets a boo-boo when I'm not looking. :mad:

It should be a federal mandatory law to have working cameras on all special ed buses.
 
At least he could tell someone what happened. My youngest is non-verbal and can't tell me what happened if she gets a boo-boo when I'm not looking. :mad:

It should be a federal mandatory law to have working cameras on all special ed buses.
I could not agree more, Taximom! When are we going to start working on that?!

My grand rides the bus and he is last on and last off. I felt very comfortable that with his aide and the driver he would be just fine. Now I am concerned. I will have to find out if his bus does have a cam.

:furious: WTH is wrong with people who are trusted to be kind and good to our children?! It is just such a shame this could happen to not only an autistic child, but blind as well.

It is a good thing I am nowhere near Florida because I would certainly be in jail about now and calling Am to come bail me out!!! (OK...Am and I would be calling Taxi or Buck to come bail US out maybe. LOL)
 
I could not agree more, Taximom! When are we going to start working on that?!

My grand rides the bus and he is last on and last off. I felt very comfortable that with his aide and the driver he would be just fine. Now I am concerned. I will have to find out if his bus does have a cam.

:furious: WTH is wrong with people who are trusted to be kind and good to our children?! It is just such a shame this could happen to not only an autistic child, but blind as well.

It is a good thing I am nowhere near Florida because I would certainly be in jail about now and calling Am to come bail me out!!! (OK...Am and I would be calling Taxi or Buck to come bail US out maybe. LOL)

LOL!!! That is probably more accurate!!!
Like Imthemom stated that she has on her son's IEP that he is never to be alone on the bus... Parents do not need legislation they can simply demand that a camera be on the bus and filming at all times and put that in the IEP.
Its not foolproof but it does help deter some problems.

SS there was one bus aide in particular who I was probably about as close as I ever came to punching someone.
She did not like Richie at all and in her lack of knowledge believed he was simply "spoiled" not disabled.
Clearly since Richie was very non-verbal at the time and delayed due to his Autism, this was a reflection of her own ignorance. I tried to talk with her and even had the school provide training with several specialists with her.
The bottom line is she had no desire to learn and really just did not care.
After 3 or 4 B***** comments from her I had finally had enough when she informed me that he could not bring his blanket or toys on the bus.. (this was in his IEP)
I informed her that "the HELL he can't" She began her tyrade over him just being spoiled and I can't even recall what all she said beyond that ..
I informed her that it would be the very last time she worked in that school district and went home and made a few calls and had her fired.
I told the school that if she was not fired I would be calling the media. They were very quick in complying rather then risk the VERY bad PR about little disabled children being emotionally abused by a sadistic witch.

This story just has me FUMING!!!!!!! As I get older I find my patience for such people is about nil..
If all of that were to happen today I am not so sure I would be able t refrain from giving her a black eye. After years and years you finally just get to the point where you cannot deal with the same crap and ignorant people over and over.

Taximom or Buck collect that bail money SS and I need to go on a road trip!! :blowkiss:
 
Heehee, Xcom, bigbuck and I are on the way!

I just thought a federal law would be better than individual parents fighting every stupid school district out there for a camera. Hmmm, I will have to look into this.
 
Aww this is so sad. Autistic children are so sweet and truely innocent. I know they can feel pain but hopefully this little sweetie wasn't able to comprehend this evil that was dealt him. My boy will turn 10 in two weeks and he has Autism, stuff like this happening to him keeps me awake at night because it's such a mean world out there for the disabled.
 
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- A lawsuit filed in Jacksonville claims a nine-year-old autistic and blind boy was beaten on a special needs bus.

His parents took pictures after the alleged incident. You can see bruises on the child's chest and neck.

The boy's father couldn't keep silent about the incident any longer. He sat down with First Coast News for an exclusive interview Thursday.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=105682
 
I just now saw this story and it makes me ill. The attendant and driver on my autistic son's bus are wonderful people and they love those kids. Still, a story like this makes me want to just keep him by me 24/7 and never let him around anyone who hasn't been thoroughly vetted, background-checked, you name it. You're protective of your children -- that's a given -- but when you have an autistic kid it's ratcheted up about 10 notches over normal. I hope this family gets solid justice and money out of that school system.
 
From the original link, there was VIDEO and it's MISSING!

The attorney said that all First Student school buses should be equipped with some type of video surveillance. However, in both incidents of abuse, no video was available.

"Mysteriously, it just so happens that both of these videos turn up missing and disappear," Block said.
 
Not to be the difficult one but I have to say I think most teachers and aides in these situations would LOVE for the cameras to be there. A teacher was fired in a school my sister worked out for 'abuse' to an autistic child - the teacher's story was that the child became violent and she was attempting to control him so he wouldn't hurt the other students. The teacher was 5 ft tall 98 lbs- the kid outweighed her by a good 50 lbs. The parents wouldn't hear of it and threatened to sue the school if she wasn't fired and marked as ineligible for hire in the district..

So she was fired.... life went on for a couple months until the same student lost control again.. picked up a chair in the room and hit the new teacher with it. She lost the majority of vision in 1 eye from it - I know both of the teachers involved personally and the parents made no apology to either for their or their son's actions. Just pulled him out and wrote a formal letter to the district blaming both of the teachers for their inability to control the child.

Not that it was justified in this case I am just saying we shouldn't immediately jump to the conclusion that the teacher, aide or bus driver is awful in all cases.
 
Wow and my autistic son is the total opposite. He is so quiet & shy. He would stand there & let someone hurt him and never even think to defend himself. He don't have the Autism with the violent tendencies so I have no experience with that at all. But SteveHuff said it best. Out of all my children my son with Autism tugs at my heart. I could see how someone could EASILY harm him & he would never tell me. He will be 10 soon and I am already worrying about when he becomes an adult. I worry about when I get old and die he will be a grown man but probably will still require care.
 

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