School bus driver pins middle schooler and chokes him, video shows. Now he’s charged
A school bus driver has been charged after a video emerged that appears to show him shoving a Louisiana middle school student and pinning him against the window.
The driver faces a charge of simple battery, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The incident happened Oct. 30 on the campus of Marrero Middle School, a spokesperson for the school district told McClatchy News in a statement.
The video shared by WVUE shows the student trying to get out of his row, and the driver shoves him back and slaps him. Eventually the driver appears to pin the student against the window with his hands wrapped around the boy’s neck as other students protest.
The driver was employed by the school district’s transportation vendor First Student and was not a direct employee of the school district, the spokesperson said.
He has since resigned, First Student said.
“At First Student, we take our responsibility to provide a safe environment on our school buses very seriously,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement to McClatchy News. “The interaction the driver had with the student was unacceptable.”
The company said drivers undergo an average of 40 hours of training before they operate the buses, on top of going through periodic training. First Student said it also conducts driver performance evaluations but could not comment further because the investigation is ongoing.
A family member of the student contacted the sheriff’s office about the incident with the 77-year-old bus driver, the Times-Picayune reported.
“The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority, and JP Schools will continue to facilitate a safe learning environment for all students and employees,” the school district said in a statement. “We are cooperating with JPSO to ensure a thorough investigation is conducted.”
Marrero Middle School is about 9 miles southwest of New Orleans.
This story was originally published November 2, 2023 at 11:59 AM with the headline "School bus driver pins middle schooler and chokes him, video shows. Now he’s charged."