Driver jailed for kicking 8-yr-old autistic girl with her foot off school bus
Published: 2013 March 21 16:54:20 (4949 Views)
Prosecutors in Florida have released a shocking video showing a female driver kicking a disabled child off a school bus with her foot.
The footage was made public by the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office on Wednesday as part of the discovery process.
The driver, 41-year-old Stephanie Wilkerson, has been charged with aggravated child abuse.
Police say Wilkerson was driving the special-needs children to school in Tampa last September, when the eight-year-old girl wanted to get off the bus.
She was told to wait her turn, but police say she slapped and pushed the driver.
The child is said to have autism.
The video shows Wilkerson using her foot to push the girl down the steps after she hesitated for about a minute.
The girl tumbled down and fractured her ankle.
Wilkerson, who had been driving since August 2008 earning $11.20 an hour, was suspended without pay in November and then fired in January 2013, TBO.com reported.
Hillsborough County Schools spokesman Steve Hegarty called Wilkerson's alleged actions that day an isolated incident.
‘When bus drivers see something like this, and they'll probably see the video on TV tonight, their heart sinks a little bit, because they know they're looking out for their kids every single day,’ Hegarty said.
Critics, however, insists that the school district has a systemic problem involving poorly trained and supervised special education personnel, ABC Action News reported.
Last October, another family sued the school district claiming that their daughter choked to death because her wheelchair was not properly positioned on the bus, sending her into respiratory distress.
In another high-profile case, a child with Down Syndrome wandered away from school and drowned in a nearby pond.
In the aftermath of the deaths, the school board held training sessions for bus drivers and plans to release instructional videos in the coming school year.
- Daily Mail
The footage was made public by the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office on Wednesday as part of the discovery process.
The driver, 41-year-old Stephanie Wilkerson, has been charged with aggravated child abuse.
Police say Wilkerson was driving the special-needs children to school in Tampa last September, when the eight-year-old girl wanted to get off the bus.
She was told to wait her turn, but police say she slapped and pushed the driver.
The child is said to have autism.
The video shows Wilkerson using her foot to push the girl down the steps after she hesitated for about a minute.
The girl tumbled down and fractured her ankle.
Wilkerson, who had been driving since August 2008 earning $11.20 an hour, was suspended without pay in November and then fired in January 2013, TBO.com reported.
Hillsborough County Schools spokesman Steve Hegarty called Wilkerson's alleged actions that day an isolated incident.
‘When bus drivers see something like this, and they'll probably see the video on TV tonight, their heart sinks a little bit, because they know they're looking out for their kids every single day,’ Hegarty said.
Critics, however, insists that the school district has a systemic problem involving poorly trained and supervised special education personnel, ABC Action News reported.
Last October, another family sued the school district claiming that their daughter choked to death because her wheelchair was not properly positioned on the bus, sending her into respiratory distress.
In another high-profile case, a child with Down Syndrome wandered away from school and drowned in a nearby pond.
In the aftermath of the deaths, the school board held training sessions for bus drivers and plans to release instructional videos in the coming school year.
- Daily Mail
0
You May Like These Videos
WATCH: Victims Narrate Ordeal After Being Clobbered By Riot Cops
FLASHBACK: Morgan Tsvangirai Won't Resign Despite Illness 
Police Violently Beat Harare Protesters 
Zimbabwean Man Who Was Shot By Tswana Employer Appeals For HelpComments
There are no comments.
Get Zim Metro Updates Alerts
Big Reads
Schoolgirl drops out after continuous 'sexual abuse' by teacher
by Staff Reporter | 2019 August 13 07:42:33
Mugabe Knows Nothing About The Zimbabwe Constitution: MP
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 08:12:02
Zim's Protesting Graduates Risk Losing Degrees For Expressing Anger Against Mugabe
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 07:57:08
Troubled Harare Giants Dynamos Falls Into Another Deep Crisis
by Own Correspondent | 2016 October 01 07:49:17
Grace Mugabe Grovels At Mnangagwa, Says I Did Not Ask Ubaba To Fire You
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 07:31:48
Mugabe Attacks Mawarire, Claims The Exiled Pastor Failed To Divide Zimbabwe
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 07:19:13
Shock As Local Bank Denies 'Rich' Mugabe's Son Heifty Credit
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 30 19:14:54Trouble For Police Officers Who Have Been Mercilessly Bludgeoning Protesters
by Staff Reporter | 2016 October 01 07:20:19
Mugabe "Home Coming" And "Thank You" Rally On Cards
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 23 06:48:24
Prof Moyo Was Dumped By Western Embassies, Claims Mutsvangwa
by Staff Reporter | 2016 September 22 10:08:07Broke RBZ Tracks Down Zimbabweans Living Outside The Country Over Taxi
by Staff Reporter | 2016 September 22 09:16:20
You Are Too Old To Lead, Aging Zim President Mugabe Told
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 22 07:19:25
Anti-Corruption Commission Loses Property In Failed Probe
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 20 03:18:19
.jpg)
SHOCKING:14 Year Old HIV-Positive Boy Rapes 7 Pupils
by Own Correspondent | 2016 September 20 00:04:55
