CROWLEY, La. — A woman from Crowley is speaking out after a troubling incident involving the student she cares for, allegedly at the hands of a school bus aide from the Acadia Parish School System. The woman, who asked to remain anonymous to protect the identity of the student, says she was horrified to receive a phone call on February 21 informing her of the alleged mistreatment.
According to the woman, she was told that an incident had occurred on a school bus involving her disabled ward, which was under investigation. Later, the woman learned that the aide assigned to the bus was allegedly involved in physically harming the student.
“I got a phone call from the school board saying that there’s an incident that happened on the school bus that’s being investigated,” the woman told KATC.
The guardian then viewed video footage of the incident, which she described as deeply upsetting. “After I watched the footage to see that this aide that’s supposed to be protecting him… is choking him, sitting on him, and she hit him,” she explained. “I couldn’t bear to watch it, it was two videos.”
The student, who has a disability that limits his ability to communicate, is unable to speak up for himself, making the situation even more distressing for his guardian. “I constantly cry, and every time I look at him, I have to — I’m apologizing for them for what they did,” she shared.
The woman also revealed that she had concerns about the aide months before the incident occurred. As a result, she made the decision to remove her student from the bus. “I have had family members step in that will help get him back and forth to school because if it happened on the bus already, it’s just not trusting,” she explained.
The Acadia Parish School System issued a statement addressing the incident, with Superintendent Carol Tall commenting, “Recently, a matter was brought to our attention involving the treatment of a student by a school district employee. This matter was addressed immediately in accordance with law. Our priority is and will always be the well-being of our students and the integrity of our educational environment. At the same time, state and federal law also prohibit us from further discussion of the details of this matter.”
The incident has raised questions about student safety and the protocols in place to ensure that students, particularly those with disabilities, are protected from harm while under the care of school staff. While the investigation continues, the community remains on edge, hoping for answers and accountability.