VAN BUREN, Co. — Justin Edwards, 7, takes a 45 minute bus ride to school every morning from Kalamazoo to Bangor.
However, his father said 5 minutes into Monday`s ride things turned violent.
“I got a phone call at the end of the day that he had supposedly assaulted his bus attendant. And I was told to come to the school or the police would be there to pick my son up,” David Edwards said.
Edwards said his son has behavior issues and goes to a special needs school in Van Buren County.
“[Justin has] ADD, ADHD and mood disorders. It’s known on that bus that every child that goes on that bus has a problem of their own and anything could happen at any time,” Edwards explained.
He said Justin was abused as a toddler, before he took possession. Now at age seven, Justin has the mental capacity of a three year old.
He’s upset the bus attendant filed a police report against Justin, which could lead to assault charges.
When asked if Justin assaulted the bus employee. David replied, “He did. I did, yes. I have not seen video of it. I was just told of what he had done.”
FOX 17 asked Justin, “What happened on the bus? Can you just talk to me about what happened on the bus? Justin: Yea, I was just talking about Chuck E. Cheeses, but I took my harness off,” he said.
“[We] got to Courtney’s house and I stood up, and then they tolded me to sit down, I punched her and then I threw my shoe out the window of the bus,” he added.
FOX 17 asked his father, “What do you think the correct disciplinary action is, if any?”
Edwards replied, “What I thought would be disciplining him, keeping him off the bus for a period of time which they normally do.”
Edwards said Justin was suspended from taking the bus for three days. He can go to school, although he missed Tuesday.
The transportation supervisor and the school`s superintendent declined an on camera interview, but said they`re looking into the matter.
They haven`t reached a conclusion. They will review video from the bus. In the end, they’re allowing the bus attendant to decide how she wants to proceed.
