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Video released of altercation between bus driver and student

Posted at 5:20 PM, May 05, 2015
and last updated 2015-05-05 17:20:22-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A Rapid bus driver is suspended without pay and a 15 year old Union High School student is suspended following a fight between the two last Thursday, April 30.

The altercation occured as students were getting on the bus at the intersection of Tremont and Beaumont, across from Union High.

The 53 year old bus driver, Alicia Miller, faces one misdemeanor charge of Assault and Battery, while the 15-year-old student faces a charge of Creating a Disturbance.

Video cameras on The Rapid Bus show the two getting into a verbal dispute that leads to the driver threatening to "smack" the student.  The two fought outside the bus for a little more than a minute until other students broke it up.

A statement sent to FOX 17 from  Grand Rapids Public Schools reads in part, "It is clear that the student and the driver erred in their action and judgment.  We are particularly troubled with how the adult escalated the matter despite efforts by other students to separate the two."  It went on to say, "We commend the Union students who made every effort to intervene and stop the incident after it started."

Meanwhile, Rapid CEO Peter Varga told us off camera that the actions of Miller were, "Inconsistent with her work in the past."  According to Varga, Miller is a 16-year veteran with the company, and a final decision on her job won't be made until he has a chance to speak with Miller in person about the incident.