New developments are unfolding as authorities look into a report of an assault on an Iowa school bus that was caught on camera. In the video posted below, you can see the bus driver pulling Christian up by his coat and striking the special needs boy in the head, as terrified children scream “Stop!” and “You can’t do that!” A brief struggle ensued, and the bus driver hit the student in the head and pushed him down onto the floor of the bus, police said in a release.
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One video shows students yelling at a man who appears to hit a student at the back of the bus.
The bus driver returned to the driver’s seat and drove the bus to the next bus stop, where a police squad vehicle happened to be parked.
Johnston Police were then called to the scene.
The Johnson Community School District posted a statement on their website, saying in part: “It appears as though the driver made a series of poor choices regarding how to handle the student’s behaviour”.
Bus driver Robert Scarbrough has been charged with assault and child endangerment after he was caught on video attacking a student with special needs. Court records do not list an attorney.
He’s been with the Johnston School District since the start of this year.
In the video, which police say was taken by a student on the bus, you can hear children yelling at the bus driver.
The statement also said “students who were on the bus or saw the video may be unsettled by what they witnessed”.
Sprague said the school district is grateful the student was not seriously injured. An investigation determined the assault happened after the driver gave the student instructions on a seat assignment and the student responded with an inflammatory comment, Aswegan said.
Before the incident Thursday, the Johnston school district had already been considering privatizing its school bus service through a third-party contractor.
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The school district operates a fleet of 75 buses and employs about 60 drivers.
