Former St. Vrain bus attendant gets 20 months for assaulting a student with disabilities

BOULDER, Colo. — A former St. Vrain Valley School District school bus aide who pleaded guilty to assaulting a student with autism on his way to and from school was sentenced to 20 months in jail on Friday.

Monica Burke, 52, will also serve five years probation and 360 hours of community service after being sentenced by 20th Judicial District Judge Ingrid Bakke.

The St. Vrain Valley School District will pay a $3.85 million settlement to end a federal investigation into whether its employees harassed the student based on his race, national origin and disability — and whether the district failed to properly respond to the incident.

The district’s insurance carrier will pay $2 million of the $3.85 million settlement.