A family in Vacaville says it plans to sue a school district after a disturbing video surfaced showing a bus driver interacting with their daughter.
They say the 64-year-old driver was taunting their 8-year-old girl with autism and shoving her down as another school employee watches and walks away.
School bus surveillance cameras are rolling as the driver confronts an 8-year-old girl with autism blocking the aisle with her leg. Police say that bus driver is 64-year-old Kim Klopson of Vacaville.
They say she was on her way to drop off students at Browns Valley Elementary. But as the special needs kids get off the bus, Klopson grabs the girl’s backpack and orders her to stay seated.
A few minutes go by. Then, a teacher’s aide comes to get the girl.
But the driver is now taunting her as she cries hysterically. Then, Klopson closes the bus door.
The aide walks away. And it gets physical.
For almost 4 more minutes, the driver is alone with the girl, yanking her up and back down and ripping off her jacket–and eventually dragging her off the bus as the aide finally comes back to get her.
“It’s absolutely bone chilling to see the way this adult woman treats this child,” Attorney Micha Star Liberty said.
Liberty is representing the family. They plan to sue the Vacaville school district.
“What you’re seeing is horrific mistreatment and abuse by an adult bus driver,” Liberty said.
The district says it fired the driver right away and she has pleaded not guilty to a child abuse charge. But parents at the school say they still have questions about bus driver training and oversight.
“I would like to know what kind of training programs they have in place and after these training programs, are they following up?” mother Priyanka Modi said.
A district spokeswoman tells CNN, “every bus driver has an annual evaluation that includes a ride along with a supervisor. Klopson had hundreds of hours of professional development training, including special education training.”
“The district needs to not just train its employees but make sure that that training is effective,” Liberty said.
Klopson says the video should not have been released and added, “they’ll make a great big deal about that.”
She declined further comment on the matter.
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