Video Reportedly Shows Former School Bus Driver Assaulting Special-Needs Student

EMMETT, Idaho — A former school bus driver here resigned after an incident in April, captured on video, in which she allegedly assaulted a special-needs student.  

The alleged incident occurred on April 12 in the parking lot of Shadow Butte Elementary School. The Emmett School District driver is seen on video, obtained by the Emmett Messenger Index, apparently forcing a 9-year-old student out of his seat on the bus, pushing him, and pulling him up off the floor by the backpack he is wearing. She is also heard on video telling him she doesn’t care if she hurts him. The school district released the video on Tuesday, and blurred the faces of those involved in the incident.

The mother of the boy told KBOI that she filed a police report after watching the video of the incident. She also raised concerns with the school district for taking several weeks to release the video. Wayne Rush, the superintendent of the school district, wrote a letter in response to a public records request from the Idaho Statesman, stating that he did not support releasing the video, because the student involved in the incident could not consent, but ended up releasing it at the request of his parent.

Rush also wrote that he didn’t think the newspaper showed the “appropriate restraint in protecting the privacy rights of a nine year old child,” and added that the newspaper listed a diagnosis of the student in an article that called for the release of the video. Rush said in the letter that releasing the diagnosis was a violation of privacy under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Rush confirmed to the Emmett Messenger Index that the driver resigned the day after the incident occurred. The Emmett Police Department is investigating the incident.