ONEONTA, N.Y. — A bus monitor accused of using a seat-belt buckle to hit a 5-year-old boy on an Oneonta, N.Y., school bus was arrested Thursday and has been fired from her job, city police said.
The boy wasn’t treated for any injuries, but he did have a bloody nose after a fight with another boy that had been instigated by the bus monitor, whose responsibilities include overseeing pupil behavior, police said.
Heather J. Ferris, 27, of Schenevus, N.Y., was charged Thursday with second-degree attempted assault, a felony, and with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, police said. Ferris was released to the custody of her parents.
Lt. Douglas Brenner said the investigation continues to determine if Ferris was involved in other such incidents involving children. He didn’t know how long Ferris had worked for Birnie Bus Service Inc.
Brenner said the incident with the boy happened on the bus ride to school at about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. The principal at Riverside Elementary School, Melinda Murdock, reported it to the boy’s family, Brenner said, and the boy’s mother filed a complaint at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
On Thursday, the bus company provided police with a video and audio recording made on the bus, Brenner said.
“The video is disturbing,” Brenner said. Ferris’ words as well as actions using the buckle to hit the boy on his body and face were recorded, he said, and she is accused of instigating and promoting a fight between the 5-year-old and another boy.
David Rowley, interim superintendent of the Oneonta City School District, said the district contracts with Birnie Bus to provide transportation for students. The bus company immediately reported the incident to the school district, Rowley said, and the boy’s family was contacted immediately.
Ferris already had been removed from her position by the time the school district requested such action, Rowley said, and the district has cooperated with the police and that department’s investigation.
Fatal Hot Air Balloon Accident in Turkey
Tornadoes, Storms Strike Midwest
'Babyland': Camp Lejeune's Toxic Legacy?
Raw: Heavy Tornado Damage in Shawnee, Okla
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
