Bus driver charged with neglect for choking

Naples, Florida
After one student was choked unconscious by another without apparent notice by the driver, the police arrested and charged the school bus driver with neglect because the driver “failed to provide any assistance to the victim during or after the Oct. 15 attack.”

Even after another student help the victim off the bus onto a sidewalk, the driver "did not get off of the bus to inquire about the seriousness of the injury to the victim, nor did she call 911 or call for medical assistance."

The attacker was arrested and charged as a juvenile with battery.

Prank 911 call leads to arrest of teen

Safe Havens, International

Suicide related to attempted school attack

Safe Havens, International

Hillsborough School District Group is Examining Special Ed Safety Following Student Deaths

Tampa, FL
Hillsborough County school bus drivers are free to decide whether to call 911 in case of an emergency, superintendent MaryEllen Elia said Thursday.

In addition, Elia said, a work group headed by deputy superintendent Ken Otero is exploring safety issues that affect exceptional-student education.

These actions follow the deaths of two special-needs children. Elia has asked for the work group's findings within 10 days.

Isabella "Bella" Herrera died in January, a day after suffering respiratory distress on a school bus coming home from Sessums Elementary School in Riverview. Her parents are suing in federal court.

Bella had a neuromuscular disorder and trouble holding her head up. She started choking, and neither the aide nor the driver called 911. Instead, they tried to have a dispatch operator or transportation supervisor call 911, which the district described as standard policy.

Safe Havens, International