HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA — Two longtime public school employees are facing criminal charges after investigators say a school bus aide repeatedly abused a 10-year-old special-needs student while the bus driver looked on and even laughed during at least one incident.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Juanita Wright, 79, has been arrested and charged with 14 counts of child abuse, while Tonya Rice-Constant, 62, the bus driver, has been charged with failure to report child abuse.
“This case goes far beyond abuse,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “It reveals a level of cruelty that is deeply disturbing.”
Abuse Allegedly Caught on Camera
Deputies say the investigation began after someone reported seeing a school bus aide striking a child while the bus was parked at Caminiti Exceptional School, a Hillsborough County Public Schools campus that serves students with autism, emotional disabilities, and other special needs…