‘I wasn’t there to protect him’: Video shows North Thurston bus driver appear to hit student
Nov 1, 2023, 9:09 AM | Updated: 9:40 am
(Photo from KIRO 7)
(Photo from KIRO 7)
A local mother is demanding answers after she said a North Thurston Public Schools bus driver hit her six-year-old son on a bus. KIRO 7 spoke with Ashley Wilson on Tuesday. She said her son, Jemi, attends Lydia Jane Hawk Elementary School of North Thurston Public Schools. The incident happened on October 2 as the six-year-old was taking a school bus home in the afternoon.
“There was no need for him to hit my kid,” Wilson said.
KIRO 7 obtained video taken by a camera on the bus showing the moment the bus driver appeared to strike the child’s back. Wilson said she temporarily removed her son from the school bus following the incident. She told KIRO 7 she reached out to the district with little luck.
“I’m still not getting any answers. I guess it’s getting swept under the rug,” she shared. “I’ve called and asked these questions and I’m getting no answers.”
This is the second incident where the same bus driver made her son feel unsafe, Wilson added. Last May, Wilson said the bus driver threatened her son.
“The same bus driver had threatened to hit my child.” She said. “Emerald got off the bus, his older sister, and told me that the bus driver had threatened to hit Jemi.”
Wilson said she waited for weeks but got no response from the district. Then last Friday she saw the driver driving a school bus last Friday.
She followed up with the district on Monday, she told KIRO 7, and the district confirmed that he has now been assigned to a different route.
Wilson stressed to KIRO 7 that she wants the driver to be held accountable in order to protect her children and other students.
“He hit my kid, so why wouldn’t he hit anyone else’s kid?” she said. “That’s a safety concern in itself. I don’t know this bus driver. I don’t know what he’s capable of, especially after hitting my kid. So for him to even be in a distance of picking up other kids or driving by my son, that’s a lot for him. That’s trauma to him. After to keep seeing this guy.”
NORTH THURSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
KIRO 7 reached out to the school district regarding both incidents.
Officials would not comment in person, but they shared the following statement:
“North Thurston Public Schools transports more than 10,000 students each day, working to get students safely to and from school each day. We provide comprehensive safety, student management, and communication training to our more than 100 bus drivers. While we cannot speak on specific personnel matters, we took quick and appropriate action in this situation to ensure student safety,” said Amy Blondin, executive director of communications with North Thurston Public Schools.
Blondin told KIRO 7 that she was aware of the allegation in May, and it was part of the district’s investigation.
KIRO 7 also reached out to the Department of Transportation. They told us the school district is handling all of their communication on the case.
THURSTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE:
KIRO 7 also reached out to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. A spokesperson said the prosecutor’s office is currently looking at the complaint.
The Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office said the case is currently under review, and they expect to make a decision about possible charges within the next week or so.
KIRO 7 also tried reaching out to the bus driver but did not get a response.
We are not naming the driver since formal charges have not been filed in this case, at the time of this report.
