A Scott County school bus driver was arrested Thursday accused of abusing a five-year-old student.
Durbin Wallace, 64, is charged with fourth-degree assault on a child.
According to an arrest warrant, as a bus security camera was rolling on the afternoon of August 27, Wallace allegedly grabbed the first grader by the neck with enough force to slam the boy’s head against the window. The paperwork claims Wallace then picked the student up and “forcefully shoved him into a seat, a few rows back.”
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“I was extremely angry. Very angry,” Heather Phinney, the mother of the five-year-old told LEX 18’s Josh Breslow.
Phinney said the bus was bringing students home from Western Elementary in Georgetown. She said two of her other kids were on that bus, as well, and witnessed the incident.
Phinney said she questioned the driver the next morning: “I said, ‘I heard there was an incident on the bus.’ He said, ‘yes, your son just wouldn’t sit still’. I said, ‘ok, but why did you touch him? I would prefer if you don’t put your hands on my son, again’. And he said, ‘well, as long as he follows my rules, then we won’t have an issue’.”
Phinney said her son complained of head and arm pain but he was not seriously injured.
In a statement, the superintendent of Scott County Schools, Patricia Putty said: “I am appalled by this situation and will do everything possible to ensure the welfare of our students.” The superintendent went on to say that Wallace had been suspended from his driving duties, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Wallace bonded out of the Scott County Detention Center, a few hours after his arrest. His bond was $2,000 full-cash.
