Shocking moment: School bus driver, 77, punches, pushes and chokes Louisiana middle school student as friends scream ‘get off him’
- An elderly bus driver was caught beating and choking a young student
- Frightened children beg him to stop and even warn that he is “going to jail.”
- The 77-year-old driver has since resigned and the investigation is ongoing
Shocking footage showed the moment an elderly bus driver beat and choked a Louisiana middle school student as children screamed for him to stop.
The unidentified driver was caught in a video filmed by a frightened student on the bus and has since resigned in disgrace from his job with the First Student bus company.
It is unclear what triggered the incident. The footage begins with the bus driver gently pushing the student back into his seat.
The student stands up and appears to attempt to leave his seat, prompting the bus driver to push him again before shockingly punching him in the head.
After the child then pushed the bus driver, the 77-year-old then appeared to press him against the bus window and allegedly choke him.
An elderly bus driver was caught on camera slapping and choking a young student
Stunned students could be heard pleading with the driver to release the child, with one shouting: “Get off him.”
“You’re going to jail,” another student adds from behind.
The driver was employed by First Student, one of the largest school bus companies in the country, transporting around 2.5 million students daily.
The company confirmed that the driver resigned after the incident became known on Tuesday.
This was announced by a spokesman for the contractor Fox8: “At First Student, we take our responsibility to provide a safe environment on our school buses very seriously.”
“The driver’s interaction with the student was unacceptable.” He resigned. As this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment further.”
The driver has since resigned from his position with the First Student bus company
The Jefferson Parish Schools district, which hired the bus company, also issued a statement after the shocking footage.
“We are aware of an incident that occurred on the Marrero Middle School campus on October 30 between a First Student bus driver and a student,” the statement said.
“The bus driver is not an employee of Jefferson Parish Schools.” The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority and JP Schools will continue to provide a safe learning environment for all students and staff. “We are working with JPSO to ensure a thorough investigation is conducted.”
A spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said it has not made any arrests, although the juvenile division is reportedly still investigating.