A shaky cellphone video has sent shockwaves through the Woodland Hills school community, showing an East Pittsburgh woman climbing onto a school bus and striking a 9-year-old third-grader. The child, who his father says has special needs, was left terrified but not physically injured, and has been having nightmares since the March 5 encounter. The clip has sparked criminal charges and fresh questions about who is allowed on district buses and how tightly those buses are supervised.
Eastern Regional Mon Valley police have charged East Pittsburgh resident Shemekia Guyton with aggravated assault and three misdemeanors: simple assault, disorderly conduct, and unauthorized school bus entry, following the March 5 incident, according to WTAE. A criminal complaint reviewed by reporters says Guyton boarded the Woodland Hills bus at the corner of Bessemer Avenue and Main Street, walked to the back, and hit the boy with her shoe. The victim’s father told reporters he has already turned the video over to investigators and is in the process of seeking legal counsel.
Video And Father’s Account
The cellphone footage provided to local TV outlets shows the woman taking off her shoe and striking the third-grader on the head and body, according to WTAE. “He’s been having nightmares. He’s scared to get on the bus,” the boy’s father told Action News 4, adding that after a hospital visit, his son complained of headaches. The criminal complaint states the bus driver repeatedly ordered the woman to get off the bus before she moved toward the rear, where the child was seated.
District Procedures And Bus Safety
The Woodland Hills School District’s transportation page explains that the district, which includes Edgewood Elementary, has clear rules for boarding, conduct, and discipline on its buses. Drivers are expected to report incidents to the transportation office, and building administrators are responsible for disciplinary measures, which can include suspending a student’s bus privileges. The transportation information lists phone numbers for the transportation director and bus-garage dispatch, notes that transportation assignments follow state pupil-transportation guidelines, and highlights that bus garages maintain a dispatch line for parents who have questions about routes or on-bus concerns.
Who Is Handling The Case
The Eastern Regional Mon Valley Police Department, which provides police services to East Pittsburgh, is leading the investigation. The department’s website lists its Braddock headquarters and public contact information. Detectives are gathering evidence and reviewing the video as prosecutors consider how to proceed with the charges in court. Family members and other parents say they want answers about how an unrelated adult was able to get onto a bus route while children were already on board.
Legal Implications
Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 2702, as outlined by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, aggravated assault can be charged as a first- or second-degree felony depending on the allegations, including the severity of injury and the age of the victim. The statute details what conduct can raise a simple assault to aggravated assault and serves as the framework prosecutors use when deciding charges. As in any criminal case, the counts filed against Guyton are allegations unless and until a court finds her guilty…