A shocking incident took place in Denton, Texas, where a 13-year-old student was assaulted on a school bus by adults, as seen in videos obtained by CBS News Texas. The troubled youth, only referred to as Nicole for privacy, was physically attacked by several females who punched, kicked her, and even placed her in a chokehold while riding the bus home from Bettye Myers Middle School. Nicole was targeted again by the assailants after the bus reached her stop.
Earlier in the day, Nicole had been warned about a potential altercation with another student who was new to the school. "She said if I didn't keep her name out of my mouth, then she was going to beat me up," Nicole recounted in an emotional statement to CBS News Texas. Despite reporting these threats to an assistant principal and a school counselor, the confrontation escalated to violence that included the participation of adults. Nicole's realization that she was being attacked by an adult came when she heard her assailant shouting "Mom".
The young girl's horror was compounded when the bus driver failed to safeguard her from the attackers. Nicole's mother criticized the driver, "Had he locked the door, called for help, waited for the police to arrive. Those grown adults wouldn't have been able to get on a bus, assault my child, and they wouldn't been able to follow the bus and continue assaulting her," she stated in an interview with CBS News. The videos corroborate her claim that the bus departed while her daughter was still under attack just outside its doors.
In response to the melee, Denton ISD has banned the adults involved from any district property and promised that the threatening student will not return to campus. Detailing the bus driver's conduct, "Following this situation, transportation officials addressed the driver, reinforced procedures, and provided additional training," the district communicated in a statement. Meanwhile, Nicole has faced a three-day suspension, which the mother deems an injustice, stating to The Dallas Express, "I feel like Denton ISD failed my child."
The case has garnered the attention of local authorities. "This is currently an ongoing, active investigation by the Denton Police Department centered around an adult unlawfully boarding the bus and injuring a child," a Denton ISD spokesperson said. A Denton police spokesperson also assured that the detective is taking the matter "very seriously" and updates are expected soon. As for Nicole, the trauma has left deep emotional scars. "No, I'm not okay," she revealed, highlighting the emotional and physical pain the assault has caused, despite her efforts to find forgiveness and understanding for her aggressors, as per The Dallas Express.
