School Bus Aide Fired After Fight With Student
The Montana aide is shown on video physically retaliating after a student pushes him during an argument. The school district, school bus company, and police department investigate.
GREAT FALLS, Mont. — A school bus aide here has been fired after an investigation into an altercation between him and a student on Monday, part of which was caught on video.
Great Falls Public Schools, school bus company Big Sky Bus Lines, and the Great Falls Police Department completed an investigation into the incident. The school district and Big Sky Bus Lines released a joint statement, obtained by ABC FOX Montana, with a timeline of the events that led up to the fight.
The incident began at 3:17 p.m., with students hanging their legs, arms, hands, and heads outside the windows of their bus. A driver from another bus told them to stop, but they didn’t. The driver started to close the windows from the outside. Five minutes later, an aide from another bus boarded the students’ bus, verbal exchanges occurred, and the situation quickly escalated, according to the statement. At that point, the student who was arguing with the aide pushed him and the aide physically retaliated, the statement from the school district and company said. (Cell phone video of part of the incident was obtained by KTMF/KWYB and can be viewed at the end of the previously referenced ABC FOX Montana story.) Three minutes after that, administrators and teachers boarded the bus to take control of the situation.
The aide is no longer employed by Big Sky Bus Lines, according to the statement, which added that “Big Sky Bus Lines expects their staff members to diffuse conflict, but this did not occur.”
More Safety

How to Build a Better School Bus Driver Training Program
Is it time to strengthen your driver training? Here’s how to pick the right talent and improve recruitment, retention, and safety. This video is brought to you by IC Bus.
Read More →
Recent School Bus Accidents Leave 2 Dead, 2 Injured
Four school bus crashes in Florida, Illinois, and Georgia highlight risks in transportation lots, at bus stops, and during student loading and unloading.
Read More →
When Every Second Matters, Clarity Keeps Routes Moving
From routine delays to urgent incidents, strong communication practices help drivers, dispatchers, schools, and families respond with confidence.
Read More →
What Happens When a School Bus Catches Fire — and What Can Help
School bus fires are rare but can be devastating. Learn how advances in fire suppression and asset protection help fleets detect fires earlier, reduce damage, and improve safety.
Read More →
Geotab Launches Tool to Help Fleets Investigate Road Incidents
Geotab Investigations combines telematics data, video, documents, and other evidence to help fleets reconstruct incidents, resolve claims, and determine what happened.
Read More →
Texas Sixth Grader Wins 2026 National School Bus Safety Poster Contest
Sai Darshana Yekolu of Moseley Middle School in Prosper, Texas, was named the newest winner for her artwork, bringing the theme of “Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes” to life.
Read More →
Doing More With Less: How Transportation Directors Can Prioritize Safety Amid Budget Uncertainty
With diesel prices soaring and nearly one-third of transportation directors expecting budget cuts, maintaining student safety has never been more challenging. Download this guide to learn how leading districts are prioritizing risk, funding critical safety technology, and building stronger budget cases with data.
Read More →
Walton County Schools Adds Gatekeeper Stop-Arm Enforcement System
The Florida district will deploy Gatekeeper’s updated Student Protector technology, which now incorporates AI to improve video evidence.
Read More →
How To Build a More Secure School Bus Yard During and After Hours
As thefts and overnight security threats continue, school transportation leaders are combining stronger operational practices with AI-enabled surveillance to better protect buses, facilities, and staff.
Read More →
FMCSA Names New Chief Safety Officer: What School Bus Operators Should Know
Steve Dowling is set to lead the federal agency's efforts to advance commercial motor vehicle safety and reduce crashes, fatalities, and injuries on the nation's roadways.
Read More →

