Parents in Michigan are horrified by horrifying footage of a fifth-grade girl punching a six-year-old boy and leaving another injured while on a school bus.
The cellphone footage shows the fifth grader throwing punches at the younger student from Ballard Elementary School during the afternoon ride home on a Niles school bus on March 4.
The unidentified students can first be heard arguing, shouting expletives and calling each other names.
Their argument is said to have started after the boy tried to knock the girl’s phone out of her hands.
The situation quickly escalates when the young girl gets up from her seat and starts hitting the boy over the head.
The cellphone footage shows the fifth grader throwing punches at the younger student during the afternoon ride home on a Niles school bus on March 4
The unidentified students can first be heard arguing, shouting expletives and calling each other names. The situation quickly escalates when the young girl gets up from her seat and starts hitting the boy over the head
The students were from Ballard Elementary School
A female student can be heard laughing as the girl in the red jacket accosts the boy and tells her that her bum is on camera.
The female student then tries to take a jab at the young boy and asks: ‘Are you mad because you got beaten up?’
At one point in the video, the boy can be heard yelling at his assailant to stop, but quickly returns to throwing f-bombs at his assailant.
The red-jacketed girl is then seen attacking the boy again, while the video recorder laughs in the background.
Since the video has gone viral, parents have been concerned for their children’s safety, with some even claiming that other children have also reported altercations with the young girl.
At one point in the video, the boy can be heard shouting stop at his abuser
Since the video has gone viral, parents have been concerned for their children’s safety, with some even claiming that other children have also had altercations with the young girl
Many parents have also wondered why there was no bus attendant present or any other adult who could have intervened.
Brittany Ottinger, whose son was next to the male student who was hit, said WNDU: ‘There was a little girl and a little boy fighting in his seat and my son’s head was pushed up against the window.
‘He was scared to go back to school so I had to encourage him to go back to school.’
She also told the channel that her son ended up with a bruised eye because of the fighting, even though she was not involved.
Niles Community Schools Superintendent Daniel Applegate has since issued a lengthy announcement and clarified that there was no assistant on the bus.
‘Since the incident occurred, our district has been in ongoing cooperation with the local police to ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted. At the same time, we have followed our district’s disciplinary procedures carefully to resolve this matter appropriately.
Superintendent Daniel Applegate of Niles Community Schools has since released a lengthy statement clarifying that there was no aide on the bus
The Niles Police Department has also launched an investigation into the incident. It is unclear what possible action the school is considering
‘To that end, our Code of Conduct Committee will meet on Tuesday to review this incident, the disciplinary procedures that have already been implemented, including removal from the bus and school, in detail and make a recommendation to the board for consideration.
“It is important to clarify that safety protocols require the bus driver to stop as soon as it is safe to intervene.
“There was no assistant on the bus to help the bus driver. Immediate and abrupt stopping of the bus is not always possible due to protocols and rules designed to ensure the safety of all students on board. These guidelines are in place to prevent other students from being put at risk.
‘In response to the incident, I want to assure you that immediate action was taken even before the student video was posted online. These actions included cooperating with the local police department and initiating our disciplinary process.
‘Our buses are equipped with video cameras, which have been instrumental in our review of the situation.’
Niles police have also launched an investigation into the incident. It is unclear what possible action the school is considering.