Orlando, Fla. — Lawyers representing the Seminole County School Board accused a young teenage boy with autism of instigating a fight during an incident on a school bus where he was beaten while he was restrained in a harness that he wore to keep him safe.
The lawyers also accused his mother of failing to discipline and properly parent him.
A surveillance video of the incident shows how another special needs student attacked the young boy twice by kicking and grabbing his leg, as an adult bus monitor just sat and continued knitting while the boys fought in front of her.
The school bus driver eventually stopped the bus and broke the fight, and the young boy with autism was taken to a nearby hospital by authorities, enforcing the Baker Act as the child had apparently become uncontrollably upset after the fight.
But the Seminole County School Board lawyers allege that authorities enforced the Baker Act negligently during the incident. The court documents, however, did not elaborate on the accusation.
The Seminole County School Board lawyers’ allegations are in response to a $15,000 lawsuit filed by the young boy’s mother at the Seminole County Circuit Court against the school district. No charges were filed, however, against the adult bus monitor, the bus driver, nor the attacker.
The incident happened in March of 2013 when the young boy was still 13 years old, while the bus was en route to Lake Mary’s Endeavor School.
Source: Gabriel Russon: Orlando Sentinel: Disabled boy who was beaten on bus instigated the fight, lawyers say