Charges have been filed after video from inside Colorado bus shows children violently lurch forward after the driver suddenly applied the brakes in an apparent attempt to teach the children a lesson.
Brian Fitzgerald, 61, a substitute bus driver for Castle Rock Elementary School, was charged with 29 misdemeanor counts of child abuse with no injury and one count of child abuse/bodily injury, multiple outlets reported. His first court appearance is scheduled for May 12, online court records show.
A parent reported the incident to the school district when her fourth-grade son told her about it. The Douglas County School District told USA TODAY that Fitzgerald is no longer employed by the district.
What does the video of the Colorado school bus driver show?
Video of the March 1, 2023 incident, provided by the Douglas County (Colo.) School District, shows Fitzgerald, telling children on the bus to sit properly in their seats.
When some children – ranging from kindergartener to sixth graders – appear to ignore him, Fitzgerald says, “You guys want to see how dangerous that is?” He then hits the brakes and the children are propelled forward, with several hitting the back of the bus seat in front of them. “Ow! Oh my god,” one is heard to say.
The driver then says, “Did you get that? That’s why you need to be in your seat. Turn around and sit down properly. … If you guys can’t do that you will get written up. Do you get that?”
In a separate video, the driver is talking to a parent after letting their child off the bus. “She okay? Is she alright?” he asks. “Yeah. She was hurt though. Might go easy on the brakes,” the parent is heard to say.
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“I said they need to be in their seat,” the driver told the parent. “I was coming to a stop and I hit the brakes hard because they weren’t. They were not listening. So, I’m sorry if she got hurt.”
Bus driver no longer employed by school district
The Douglas County School District issued a statement that Fitzgerald had been relieved of his duties. Fitzgerald declined to speak to Colorado Springs ABC TV affiliate KRDO, citing the criminal case against him.
“The video is incredibly difficult to watch. Riding a bus to and from school should be a happy, enjoyable experience for students,” said school district public information officer Paula Hans. “The behavior and actions of this bus driver are completely unacceptable.”
In a misdemeanor complaint filed April 12, Fitzgerald was charged with 29 misdemeanor counts of child abuse with no injury and one charge of child abuse with bodily injuries, which carries a maximum sentence of 364 days in jail, reported ABC News and Fox News.
Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.
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