Silke Jasso
A mother in Dallas, Texas was left in shock after viewing security footage of her 5-year-old daughter being assaulted on her way to school. The video showed the girl getting pulled, pushed, poked with a pencil and grabbed around the head by at least two students on the bus over a period of 14 minutes.
Videos by Rare
According to Audrey Billings, the child’s school district charged her $600 to see a video that showed the girl being abused on a small school bus. The 5-year-old is also shown trying to fight back and yelling at the other students, begging them to stop. The girl calls out for the bus driver several times, as one of the children puts her in a chokehold position.
She then starts to cry as she continues to get hit urging the driver to tell them something. It is not clear what prompted the children’s actions or physical contact. The mother told CNN she wants “major change to the Dallas Independent School District’s bullying policy and its procedures for handling bullying incidents.”
Robyn L. Harris, Dallas ISD spokeswoman, stated the students involved were disciplined according to their Student Code of Conduct. The bus driver was also immediately removed from the route.
“Dallas ISD has taken steps to improve our transportation services to further ensure the safety of students. The district has provided additional training and monitoring. We are dedicated to ensuring a safe environment for all students and remain committed to meeting the expectations of our parents and community.”
Billings initially reached out to the school district after the 5-year-old told her the other students were hurting her. When she spoke to the principal and told her about the situation, she was only given the “play by play” of what actually occurred. When she asked to be sent the videos, Sam Houston Elementary told her she would need to pay first to have each one redacted. She reluctantly paid for the one she viewed and told her daughter that she would no longer ride the bus.
