SchoolBus logo in red and orange
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

August 2023: SBF Incident and Crime Report Roundup

A roundup of recent incidents and crimes involving school buses, including: Michigan school bus driver charged in sexual assault case, former Texas school bus aide arrested after alleged attack, student discharges gun on Texas school bus, and more.

Christy Grimes
Christy GrimesFormer Senior Editor
Read Christy's Posts
August 30, 2023
August 2023: SBF Incident and Crime Report Roundup

School Bus Fleet's monthly crime report roundup includes recent criminal charges people face in connection to school buses.

Photo: Photo: Canva/School Bus Fleet

5 min to read


School bus-related crimes and incidents are making headlines. School Bus Fleet has a roundup of some of the recent incidents involving school buses. They include:

  • Michigan school bus driver charged in sexual assault case.

  • Former Texas school bus aide arrested after alleged attack.

  • Student discharges gun on Texas school bus.

  • Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to harassing daughter's school bus driver.

  • Parents disagree with driver's response to to discipline issues on Louisiana school bus.

Ad Loading...

Michigan School Bus Driver Charged in Sexual Assault Case

A Muskegon (Michigan) Public Schools bus driver was charged with first degree criminal sexual misconduct. Court documents obtained by WZZM reveal the driver, Richard Elliott, lived in the same home as the 8-year-old victim, where the alleged incident occurred.

The boy told his father, who reported the incident to police.

The Muskegon County Sheriff's Office investigated and issued charges against Elliott.

Elliott was arrested on July 14. Investigators said they do not believe the victim was a student at Muskegon Public Schools.

Dean Transportation Services, which provides transportation to the school district, released a statement to WZZM, saying that Elliott was on an unpaid medical leave when they learned of the alleged incident; he remains on unpaid leave. The contractor also noted the incident did not involve Elliott's employment.

Ad Loading...

The contractor went on to say that all of its drivers must pass a criminal background check, public sex offender registry check, FBI national fingerprint-based background check and driving record check. Elliott passed all background checks when he was hired in December 2016.

Former Texas School Bus Aide Arrested After Alleged Attack

Donald Tisdel was was charged with assault causing bodily injury after reportedly hitting a student.

Photo: Montgomery County Sheriff's Office

A former Conroe (Texas) Independent School District bus aide who was reportedly seen on video attacking a 17-year-old student on a bus was arrested. Video from the Aug. 10 incident showed Donald Tisdel allegedly hitting a student multiple times on a school bus picking up students at Conroe High School.

According to The Courier of Montgomery County, Tisdel was charged with assault causing bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor. Class A misdemeanors are punishable by 1 year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.

In the video posted on social media, a student appears to be exiting a bus when a school district employee pushes him to the floor of the bus and hits him about four times. As the student tries to get up, the employee appears to push him back down several times. The student then gets up and turns toward the camera, where blood is seen on his head.

The Courier reported that the student was treated and released from an area hospital.

Ad Loading...

According to the arrest affidavit, bus surveillance video viewed by a school district police officer showed the beginning of the incident. Tisdel and the student reportedly engaged in an argument; Tisdel reportedly told the student, "put your hands on me, that's what I want."

The student is then seen moving quickly to the front of the bus where he bumps chests with Tisdel, who then reportedly pushed the student back, striking him several times with a water bottle, the affidavit stated.

A school spokesperson shared the district's statement with School Bus Fleet. It reads, "We were made aware of an incident in which a bus monitor in our Transportation Department physically attacked a student on a bus. We are disturbed by this unacceptable behavior which is not representative of our hundreds of hard-working transportation staff. The individual is no longer employed by the District, and the Conroe ISD Police Department is completing their investigation with the expectation of pursuing criminal charges."

Student Discharges Gun on Texas School Bus

Authorities in Seguin (Texas) are investigating, after a student reportedly fired a handgun while riding a school bus that was pulling into the Jefferson Elementary School parking lot on Aug. 22.

Seguin ISD reported that no one was injured, the discharge was an accident, and that the bus driver immediately recovered the handgun from the student. Initial reports showed that the student did not threaten anyone with the weapon. The district noted that the student was taken off campus during the investigation.

Ad Loading...

Students from several elementary schools were onboard at the time of the incident. The district notified parents of all students on the bus. School counselors were made available to students or parents who needed them.

The Seguin Police Department is investigating the incident. The district said it is cooperating with the investigation.

Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Harassing Daughter's School Bus Driver

A Pittson, Pennsylvania, man pleaded guilty to harasasing a school bus driver. According to court records obtained by Times Leader, Raymond Bartiromo was charged with entering a Pittston Area school bus while it was stopped, threatening the driver.

Bartiromo told police he was angry at the driver, who he claimed yelled at his daughter the day before.

During a preliminary hearing in August, police withdrew charges of unauthorized entry onto school bus, terroristic threats, and disorderly conduct against Bartiromo.

Ad Loading...

Bartiromo pleaded guilty to harassment and was fined $206.25.

Parents Disagree with Driver's Response to Discipline Issues on Louisiana School Bus

Parents of students on a Calcasieu (Louisiana) school bus whose driver pulled over due to student behavioral problems voiced frustration over the driver's decision. The driver pulled the bus over during the route on Aug. 16 because students were being too loud and some were getting out of their seats, according to KPLC.

When the bus pulled into a parking lot, students reportedly began calling their parents to say they were stuck on the bus and that it was hot.

One parent admitted his child opened the rear emergency exit door when the driver would not, and the parent began helping students off the bus.

Calcasieu school officials told KPLC that they concluded the driver acted correctly in not opening the door, also noting that the back door should not have been opened. Parish school officials also said no one is allowed within 10 ft. of the bus.

Ad Loading...

Transportation Director Aaron McDonald said the children should have stayed on the bus, pointing out that once they began unloading the bus, the students were on hot asphalt, unsupervised in the parking lot.

McDonald noted that each family was given a code of conduct explaining what’s expected of students and parents.

Parents also have other complaints. Besides worrying about whether it was too hot to stop the bus for any length of time, one woman said her small daughter was allowed to ride home with someone the mother didn’t know.

More Safety

Fatal School Bus Accident in New York graphic dated Jan. 29, 2026, showing a close-up of a yellow school bus with cracked-glass overlay and School Bus Fleet logo.
Safetyby StaffFebruary 3, 2026

New York 5-Year-Old Killed by School Bus, Investigation Ongoing

A Rockland County child was struck by their school bus late last week. Here's what we know so far about this and other fatalities and injuries in the area over the years.

Read More →
A red, orange and yellow graphic with anti-pinch door sensor products and text reading "Maine's New Mandate: Anti-Pinch-Sensors & Bus Safety."
Safetyby Elora HaynesJanuary 29, 2026

Prevent School Bus Dragging Incidents: Anti-Pinch Door Sensors and Maine’s New Mandate

As Maine becomes one of the first states to require anti-pinch door sensors on new school buses, manufacturers like Mayser offer a look at how the technology works and why it's a critical fail-safe.

Read More →
SponsoredJanuary 29, 2026

8 Ways To Simplify and Streamline School Bus Fleet Operations

What if your fleet technology actually worked together? Learn eight practical strategies to integrate multiple systems into one platform, unlocking clearer insights, stronger safety standards, and smoother daily operations.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
an illustration of a survey on a mobile phone with a hand on it, and the words Survey Says on it
Safetyby News/Media ReleaseJanuary 28, 2026

Survey: Most Parents Want Automated Enforcement on School Buses

A recent Verra Mobility survey reports that 82% of parents support safety cameras to penalize stop-arm violators and 70% favor automated enforcement in school zones.

Read More →
Image of an extended stop-arm with text reading "School Bus Safety: Funding Provides Bus Upgrades Across Ohio."
Safetyby StaffJanuary 27, 2026

State Grant Program Advances School Bus Safety Upgrades Across Ohio

$10 million in state grants will fund safety upgrades and new features on school buses serving students across the Buckeye State.

Read More →
A white Waymo vehicle waits at a crosswalk as a family crosses.
Safetyby StaffJanuary 26, 2026

Waymo Scrutiny Intensifies as NTSB Launches Investigation

After complications in multiple cities when self-driving taxis failed to stop for school buses, the NTSB joins NHTSA in a probe to determine what's behind the tech and related safety concerns.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Transportant stop arm camera shown on an orange “new product” graphic with School Bus Fleet branding.
SafetyJanuary 20, 2026

Transportant Debuts First Full-Color Stop Arm Camera for School Buses

Transportant introduced a next-generation stop arm camera designed to improve image quality and reliability for documenting illegal school bus passings.

Read More →
SponsoredJanuary 19, 2026

3 New Ways Fleet Software Pays: ROI opportunities for modern fleet managers

Keeping buses safe, reliable, and on schedule requires more than manual processes. This eBook explores how modern fleet software supports school transportation teams with automated maintenance scheduling, smarter video safety tools, and integrated data systems. Discover practical ways fleets are reducing breakdowns, improving safety, and saving valuable staff time.

Read More →
An image of a student with a backpack walking with text reading "Walking School Bus: Grant Fuels Safer Pedestrian Routes to School in New Mexico."
Safetyby Elora HaynesJanuary 15, 2026

New Mexico District Receives $2.7M Grant to Expand Walking School Bus Programs

See how a federal grant will help Albuquerque Public Schools expand supervised walking routes and improve student safety.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Illustration showing a school bus with a standard stop arm and a deployed retractable safety barrier extending across the roadway to block passing vehicles.
Safetyby News/Media ReleaseJanuary 13, 2026

Florida Inventor Creates Retractable 10-Foot Stop-Arm

A newly developed school bus safety device introduces a retractable barrier designed to deter illegal passing during student loading and unloading.

Read More →