Parents in Michigan are terrified by horrific images of a fifth-grade girl hitting a 6-year-old boy and leaving another injured while on a school bus.
Cellphone footage shows the fifth-grader throwing punches at the younger Ballard Elementary School student during the afternoon route home on a Niles school bus on March 4.
You first hear the unidentified students arguing, shouting profanities and calling each other names.
Their argument allegedly started after the boy tried to knock the girl’s phone out of her hands.
The situation quickly escalates when the young girl gets out of her seat and starts hitting the boy over the head.
The cellphone footage shows the fifth-grader throwing punches at the younger student during the afternoon route home on a Niles school bus on March 4.
You first hear the unidentified students arguing, shouting profanities and calling each other names. The situation quickly escalates when the young girl gets out of her seat and starts hitting the boy over the head
The students were from Ballard Elementary School
A female student can be heard laughing as the girl wearing a red jacket attacks the boy and tells her that her butt is in the camera.
The student then tries to scold the young boy, asking, “Are you mad because you got beat up?”
At one point in the video, the boy can be heard yelling at his attacker to stop, but he quickly returns to throwing f-bombs at his attacker.
The girl wearing a red jacket is then seen again attacking the boy as the VCR laughs in the background.
Since the video went viral, parents have been concerned about the safety of their children and some even claim that other children have also reported fights with the young girl.
At one point in the video, you can hear the boy yelling at his attacker
Since the video went viral, parents have been concerned about the safety of their children and some even claim that other children have also gotten into fights with the young girl.
Many parents also wondered why there wasn’t a bus assistant present or another adult who could have intervened.
Brittany Ottinger, whose son was sitting next to the male student, was told WNDU: ‘There was a little girl and a little boy fighting in his seat, and my son’s head was pressed against the window.
“He was terrified of going back to school, so I had to encourage him to go back to school.”
She also told the station that her son suffered a bruised eye from the fighting, despite not being involved.
Niles Community Schools Superintendent Daniel Applegate has since released a lengthy statement rack and clarified that there was no assistant on the bus.
“Since the incident, our district has continuously worked with local law enforcement to ensure a thorough investigation is conducted. At the same time, we have closely followed our district’s disciplinary procedures to appropriately address this matter.
Niles Community Schools Superintendent Daniel Applegate has since released a lengthy statement clarifying that no aide was on the bus
Niles police have also launched an investigation into the incident. It is unclear what possible measures the school is considering
“To this end, our Code of Conduct Committee will meet next Tuesday to review in detail this incident and the disciplinary procedures already implemented, including removal from the bus and school, and submit a recommendation to the board for consideration.
“It is important to clarify that safety protocols require the bus driver to stop as soon as it is safely possible to intervene.
‘There was no assistant on the bus to assist the bus driver. Stopping the bus immediately and abruptly is not always feasible due to protocols and regulations designed to ensure the safety of all students on board. These guidelines are designed to prevent other students from being put at risk.
“In response to the incident, I want to assure you that immediate action was taken, even before the student video was online. These actions include cooperation with local law enforcement and the initiation of our disciplinary process.
“Our buses are equipped with video cameras, which played an important role in our assessment of the situation.”
Niles police have also launched an investigation into the incident. It is unclear what possible measures the school is considering.