Re: Fw: 10-Year-Old Girl Arrested For Kicking Teachers - Bus Driver Charged with Assaulting Autistic Child - Ex-teacher arrested, accused of slamming boy's head on desk

[Guest guest]

It is unbelievable that a bus driver with a prior child abuse record is allowed

to drive a school bus and be responsible for a group of kids. As to the little

girl who kicked the teachers, we can only hope the D.A. will act responsibly and

reduce the charges to a simple battery or disorderly conduct. I think the

officers who charged a 10 year old with the felony was either over zealous or is

somewhat incompetent.

Glenda

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> ----- Forwarded Message ----

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> To: Undisclosed List

> Sent: Fri, April 30, 2010 12:02:29 AM

> Subject: 10-Year-Old Girl Arrested For Kicking Teachers - Bus Driver Charged

with Assaulting Autistic Child - Ex-teacher arrested, accused of slamming boy's

head on desk

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> 10-Year-Old Girl Arrested For Kicking Teachers

> April 29, 2010

> http://www.wftv.com/news/23307152/detail.html

>

> DELAND, Fla. -- A 10-year-old central Florida girl faces two felony charges of

assault on an education worker after she was accused of kicking and pushing her

elementary school teachers.

> Authorities were called to the Woodward Avenue Elementary School in DeLand on

Wednesday. A teacher said the girl was disruptive and ran out of class. The girl

allegedly said she wanted to go home. Authorities say the girl was found and she

kicked and pushed some teachers when they tried to bring her to the front

office.

> Authorities say the girl told them she kicked the adults because she was

scared. She also allegedly said she wanted to go home to see her mother's

friend, who was visiting.

> She was taken to the Division of Youth Services detention facility.

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> Bus Driver Charged with Assaulting Autistic Child

>  

> 04/29/2010

> http://www.afro.com/sections/news/Baltimore/story.htm?storyid=1081

> Baltimore County - Sr. hopes the second defendant in his son’s

assault case doesn’t get off as easy as the first one.

> After agreeing with the prosecutor that a surveillance video shows

hitting 13-year-old autistic child Jr. on a Baltimore

County school bus, District Court Judge G. Darrell Jr. ruled “not

guilty†after a 10-minute hearing.

> “She’s doing her job trying to maintain discipline,†said

dismissively in court on March 11, according to transcripts acquired by the

AFRO. “It wasn’t a forceful hit. Nobody was injured. She’s got her hands

full.â€

> But police agree with Sr., who said not only was his son assaulted by

on Nov. 20, 2009, but attacked by Brocato, a bus driver with a

prior child abuse record. Her trial is scheduled for May 19.

> Sr. said his son was strapped into his seat next to , who was

substituting for Jr.’s regular aide, as Brocato drove the bus of

special education students on I-695 and Perring Parkway.

> “The aide gave my son her [hair] scrunchy,†Sr. said. “He started

playing with it because it’s made out of elastic material. He started trying

to unravel it and she slapped him and that set him off. He became uncontrollable

at that point.â€

> Lt. Jim Dewees of the land State Police Golden Ring Barrack said it is

difficult to determine by surveillance camera how hard hit Jr.,

but the tape clearly captures an assault and unnecessary restraint forced upon

the teen.

> “[] basically stands up and hits him several times,†DeWees said.

“She didn’t stop; she was mad. It looked like the child [fell] to the

ground. You can see them scuffling on the floor and you can see him being

physically assaulted.â€

> At that point, Brocato then pulled the bus over. Lori Mazan, operator and

safety supervisor of Durham School Services which runs the school bus company,

claims that Jr. got out of his harness and ran to the front of the bus,

prompting Brocato to pull the bus over.

> “As the driver expressed it, [he] ‘had to be disarmed’,†she wrote.

> However, DeWees said the encounter went beyond discipline and became child

abuse; the tape  “clearly showsâ€Â  Brocato pull the bus over and

immediately begins to assault beyond acceptable reproach.

> “She gets up and it appears as though she assists in the assault or

restraining [of] the child,†Dewees said. “It’s not like she comes and

intervenes and tries to make peace with what was going on.â€

> Brocato has been charged with two counts of second-degree assault, adding onto

her busy criminal record. On Oct. 26, 2003, she was charged with child abuse of

a minor, contributing to the condition of a child, and second degree assault.

She pled guilty to the 2003 assault charge and was sentenced to probation after

being convicted on July 12, 2004.

> Communications Specialist Ann Kinder said it is Durham School Services’

policy not to comment on pending litigation, but released the following

statement regarding Brocato’s former employment with the company: “Durham

School Services takes the safety of the children we transport very seriously.

All of our drivers and monitors are required to pass a full background check and

drug and alcohol screens before they are hired. In addition, they must complete

an extensive training program that includes instruction on student management

techniques.â€

> Sr. was called to come pick his son up from school when the bus arrived

there and had to drive his son to school for two months after the incident. He

is now back on the bus without any problems, and former Durham School Services

spokesperson Osheaski confirmed that and Brocato have been

“terminated.â€

> During her trial, told the judge she gave her scrunchy because

that was the only way she could keep him in his seat and doesn’t remember

hitting him.

> “I loved my job and I loved my kids on the bus,†she testified. “If I

did hit him it was just in a response. He was hitting me down here on my leg.â€

> On the court transcripts, admits that the tape did not show Jr.

hit , but said he accepted her testimony because she was under oath.

Sr. said his son is nonviolent and only used force after Brocato “got

on top of him.â€

> “He was defending himself,†he said. “He doesn’t understand a strange

person hitting him. She wasn’t’ supposed to do that.â€

> If Brocato is found not guilty, her job could be reinstated.

> “I don’t want to see that woman go to jail,†Sr. said. “I just

want to see her [give] a guilty plea so she can stay the heck off of these buses

and not do that to another child again.â€

> *******************************************************************

> Ex-teacher arrested, accused of slamming boy's head on desk

> By Borunda and Maggie Ybarra \ El Paso Times

>

> 04/21/2010

>

> http://www.elpasotimes.com/education/ci_14925356

> EL PASO -- A former middle school teacher was arrested Monday, accused of

slamming a special-needs student's head onto a desk.

> Socorro Independent School District police arrested Brito Jr. on a

charge of injury to a child after a parent made a report to authorities.

> Brito, 53, resigned from his teaching position at Salvador H. Middle

School in Socorro on Friday before his arrest, said Escobar, spokesman

for the Socorro school district.

> " He was put on paid administrative leave during the investigation, and he

voluntarily chose to resign, " Escobar said.

> Escobar said he did not immediately know how long Brito had worked for the

district.

> The investigation began April 14, according to a complaint affidavit filed by

school police and obtained Tuesday by the El Paso Times. The student's name was

not disclosed because he is a juvenile.

> The police document alleged the incident took place April 2 during an

afternoon class while students were watching a video.

> According to the document, Brito was upset because a boy was talking and would

not let the other children listen to the video. Brito continued to ask the

student to be quiet and place his hands on the desk or " he was going to do it

for him. "

> " The victim did not listen and (Brito) stood up, walked towards the victim and

grabbed him by the back of his neck. (Brito) in an aggressive manner and with

force slammed the victims (sic) head on the student's desk, " the affidavit

stated.

> The document stated at least one witness told police that after the assault,

the boy appeared to be scared and in pain and stayed with his hands outstretched

on the desk. The document stated there were no visible injuries reported by the

boy's parent.

> A log showed Brito was jailed for a few hours Monday before he was released on

$3,500 bail. Brito was contacted on Tuesday but declined to comment, saying he

was seeking legal representation.

> Borunda may be reached at dborunda@...; 546-6102.   Maggie Ybarra may

be reached at mybarra@...; 546-6151.

>