Video shows Littleton Schools bus aide punching and striking nonverbal student
LITTLETON, Colo. — Video showing a woman repeatedly hitting a nonverbal boy as he was strapped into a harness on a bus has prompted Englewood Police to arrest her on suspicion of felony assault.
The video is now a catalyst into deeper scrutiny into what could have been months of abuse on the bus against several children who live with developmental disabilities.
Court records show Kiarra Jones, a bus aide with Littleton Public Schools, was arrested April 4 and has bonded out of the Arapahoe County Detention Center. A background check shows this is her first arrest.
The video shows Jones sitting next to a boy who is 10 years old. Jones appears to elbow the boy in the midsection and then strike him in the face with her fist. Then Jones appears to stomp on his feet.
Editor’s Note: The video below contains images of an adult striking a child and may be difficult for some people to watch.
The incident occurred March 18, according to an affidavit obtained by 9NEWS.
In the affidavit, an Englewood Police detective wrote he reviewed more bus camera footage that captures more abuse on two other days, including Feb. 13 and March 1. In a release on Tuesday, Englewood Police said “more than one” student was assaulted.
The video was obtained as part of an investigation after a parent raised concerns about bruising on their child. Attorney Qusair Mohamedbhai, who represents at least two families whose children ride the bus, released the March 18 video to the media on Tuesday.
“The abuses of special needs children continues to occur because school districts treat this community as a burden rather than a blessing,” Mohamedbhai said. “School districts routinely fail to train and support those who work with special needs student populations.”
According to the law firm, the students were transported to The Joshua School on a bus provided by Littleton Public Schools. Because they are nonverbal, the students were unable to tell anyone of the abuse.
During a news conference on Tuesday, families of those children said they’ve been raising concerns about injuries to their children since last August and that Littleton Public Schools initially said it found no issues.
Littleton Public Schools released a communication to families on Tuesday afternoon saying Jones was hired in August 2023 after passing a background check and was fired on March 19, the day after the incident. The school district said she had “very limited access” to students during her employment.
“This kind of behavior cannot be and is not tolerated,” the communication says. “As parents, you trust us with the well-being of your children and you should never have to worry about them being harmed when they are in our care.”
If you have any information about this story or would like to send a news tip, you can contact jeremy@9news.com.
To view the article in it’s entirety, visit www.9news.com.