Alachua County, FL – A video of a school bus aide physically assaulting a special needs student has recently been released.
The incident was caught on camera whereupon 76 year old John Heath is shown viciously slamming Brooke Kohl’s head against the window of the school bus. Kohl, a 14 year old Sidney Lanier School student had not been known to be aggressive and suffers from seizures that can be triggered by an injury to her head. However Heath can be heard attempting to justify his behavior, stating to a bystander in the video that the teen had kicked him the face prior to the assault.
Ultimately video recordings have become an increasingly effective means of revealing the physical and verbal abuse that youngsters on the spectrum are often subjected to. Because many with ASD do not possess the communication skills that would enable them to report abuse committed by educators and carers, videos can be an effective tool in providing accountability in such instances.
Kohl’s mother Tara has thus decided to take action to ensure that Heath is brought to justice. She states:
“My whole family and I will be at all of his court dates. Making sure he sees us there knowing it does mater. That what he did isn’t going to go by us.”
*warning, the video clearly shows Brooke Kohl’s head being slammed against the window of the school bus, which is disturbing.
Source: ActionNewsJax.com: Caught on video: Bus aide slams autistic child’s head into bus window