Need advice on an incident on my son's school bus, possibly legal.?

Three boys, my son age 12 and 2 10 year olds were fooling around on the bus the other day, along with some kids behind them. One kid kept having his hat pulled off his head. My son got out of his seat to let this kid find it. With that the bus driver stopped the bus, went back there yelled at my son and another kid and yanked another kid by the hair. The mom reported it to the school and so did I. Apparently the video doesn't show a "clear picture" of what took place, so they have called several children to the office and, to my knowledge, they have all corroborated what happened.

Now, 3 days later, the same driver is on the bus and has even used intimidation tactics by letting 2 of the boys know that he was "aware of someone's parent calling his supervisor to get him in trouble".

What do you make of this? This woman, because of the lack of action on the school's part, now wants to get the police involved.
Is this serious enough to involve the authorities?
Additional Details
Just to further explain, this is a bus that carries kids ranging in age from 8 to 14 in 2 or 3 different schools. They are not just asking kids directly involved. And from what I have heard this guy is constantly screaming at the kids, to include mentally challenged ones and many times, the wrongs kids. My problem now is also that unless I want to take my son to school every day I have to put him in the care of this driver who sounds pretty vindictive at best. And, yes, I know kids are not angels. My son is small for his age and is the subject of bullying on a regular basis by other bigger kids and now, apparently, bus drivers.

btmead21

I practice international law, but I do remember this from law school, yanking a child by the hair is assault in the civil sense and an assault and battery in the criminal sense. If it was my child I would want to get authorities involved as well. This person has no business driving a school bus.

Edit: To clear things up, a "simple assault charge" is not all that can be done as one poster has stated. This was a battery since there was physical contact. There is a reason we have made these sorts of acts crimes in our country. The driver should be charged, sued, and possibly have his @$$ kicked. Assaulting children is very serious.

Sidebar: What's with defending the driver? If he doesn't like being around kids and can't control himself he needs a different job. That is akin to opening a night club and then complaining about drunks, fights, and loud music.

Ranger473

Having driven a school bus for the last two years I can only say this. Children act atrocious on a bus. Under DOT regulations, if a driver allows the children to walk on the bus while it is in motion he is subject to a large fine. In TX it is $250 per student that is moving. Since the driver must have a CDL to drive the bus he can lose his job for allowing that conduct on the bus.

I can also tell you that children lie or if you rather, stretch the truth. They will also stick together. We had children do this and the video showed just the opposite of what they all said was the truth.

Yes, some drivers do things wrong and they let the children get to them and lose their tempers. Not being there I don't know what happened. Neither do you. As for calling the police, that is a personal choice but if the tape has been reviewed and found inconclusive, the police while have nothing further to go on than the school did and by calling them you may be inflicting undue stress on a possibly Innocent driver who is only;y trying to control his passengers.

Mr. T's Pretty Cuzzin

Yeah, I'm sure they're all perfect angels, and the poor $5.15 an hour bus driver responded humanly for no reason at all. Get a life lady. If you had a clue what kids are really like when parents aren't looking, you'd realize how foolish this whole thing is. Pursuing it will only make reasonable parents think you even more unreasonable.

You asked.

Michael

Get over it. It is parents like you that are the reason the school system is a discipline disaster. A friend of mine is a grade school teacher and she has to deal with this kind of whiny my kid is Naploean and can do no wrong mentality all day long. My kid got a D whine whine I am going to get you fired blah blah blah. My kid skipped class and you are trying to punish him .. I am going to get you fired blah blah blah. I went to a military school and if I did something I got hit. Period. But we all graduated. We all went to good high schools and colleges and beyond and quite frankly are just better off for a little physical discipline early on.

Teufel

Call them immediately. If it was me I would be at the bus stop myself, waiting for the bus driver to show up. This is a serious problem. Think about it. This is an adult intimidating children. It is a wonder he still has a job, let alone his front teeth.

cashmoneycuban

what ever happened to the good old days when someone touched your kid you just simply punched them in the face?

Phoenix, Wise Guru

I agree with Ranger. I would be glad the driver stopped the bus and tried to keep the kids in line and safe. The pulling hair part bothers me, but you said the tape was not clear, so that could be a bit of a stretch of the truth. I really don't see the other kids as credible witnesses. The "intimidation" is just a way to keep the kids in line. Can you imagine what it's like to drive a bus?

However, I would continue to communicate with my child about their bus experience and if anything else happened, I would take further action.

popeye78

what you are describing is plain old bullying i dont know how this imbecile goes to bed at night or has a job still you should tell the police right away and maybe they can catch him in the act and give him some of his own medicine. questions like this need not be asked in this way as the answer should come naturally hope this helps

Moon

Answer one question...what if it was your child that got his hair yanked? I know if it were my son I'd want something done. Who's to say the next time he won't hit a child? I think that the mother is right. I'd contact the school board first because the school and the bus people are not taking care of the situation. If the school board will not comply then authorities should be called to make sure no other child gets hurt. In the past; if the child had misbehaved they got the paddle from the principle...not his/her hair yanked out. Now though it's a different story. There are no paddling at school nor does the bus driver have the right to yank a child's hair.

it definately is serious enough the get the authorites involved....whenever an adult puts their hands on a child that isnt theres actions should be taken...now he didnt help the situation at hand with the children he only made it worse...and to address the children about him being aware that someone told their parents what happened wasnt mature...their children and i'm sure he is aware of the fact that he shouldnt be discussing the situation with them...that fact that he is still driving these children around is a bit scary to me...he should have been suspended or moved to another route until the problem at hand was taken care of...i hope you are able to resolve this situation as soon as possible...good luck

FRAGINAL-NOYPI

File a complaint at the police headquarters if you deem it right to have a legal action against the driver for his misdemeanor.

Snoochies

Nobody has a right to grab someone elses child that way. That can be considered assult. Now he is using intimidation to try to keep the kids quite because he knows he was in the wrong. I would push things harder to have action taken against this driver before this guy does something worse to a child.

christopherc

Yes, a simple assault charge could be filed. Unfortunately, many schools overlook things on the bus due to not being to find qualified drivers and excuse inexcusable actions. However having an assault charge and follow up intimidation actions against the driver could assist in disciplinary action. The safety of your children comes first.

Dave

Pulling a childs hair is abuse...take it to the paint.
If the school will not take control of the driver, let the police handle it.

The Complete Idiot

hell, i say burn 'em down, if you can. but then i hate the school system. it's not that i think kids don't need a whuppin' from time to time, it's just that I think if the government is going to HAVE socialist daycare programs and call it education, then they're going to have to expect to be screwed with a little.

Star

GO TO THE NEWSPAPER LOCALLY, AND TELL THE FACULTY AT YOUR SCHOOL IF THEY DONT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, WHEN YOU HAVE THE SLIGHTEST EVIDENCE AGAINST THAT DRIVER YOU WILL SUE THEIR ASSSES OF!!!! ALSO I THINK YOU SHOULD CHECK TO SEE IF THIS IS LEGAL FIRST IN YOUR STATE, BUT I WOULD GIVE YOUR CHILD A TAPE RECORDER IN HIS BACKPACK AND HAVE HIM RECORD WHAT THE BUS DRIVER IS SAYING THAN GET A LAWER THAN SHOVE IT DOWN THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR THROUT, SUE. yOU DONT WANT ANY KIDS GETTING HURT FROM HIM DO YOU, BEFORE THEY DO SOMETHING

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