A DeKalb County mother says her autistic daughter was allegedly sexually assaulted by another student while riding a school bus.
The mother, who FOX 5 is not identifying to help protect the victim’s identity, said the alleged assault has been going on the whole year, but her 9-year-old daughter didn’t tell her about it until October.
“She came to me very seriously and said a boy had touched her private parts, and it was really upsetting her,” the mother said. “This boy has been touching her inappropriately. He puts his fingers on her lips. Moves her hips behind her down the aisle. He’s been jiggling her belly. He squeezed and poked her breast. He puts his arms around her and kisses her.”
This mom says her daughter was able to draw a picture that depicts the pain she felt from the taunting.
“She has drawn pictures about feeling helpless and having fear and anxiety, sadness, and confusion,” she said about the picture depicting the Oct. 22 assault.
The 9-year-old’s parents filed a police report with DeKalb schools Police, which says the “student on student” assault is being investigated. They also filed a detailed and formal complaint with Title 9.
She thinks the buses are getting out of control.
“It’s really just like the wild west on the school buses. There’s not another adult who is monitoring our babies to make sure they are safe,” she said. “I think they need to have another adult, who is a safety monitor on every single bus. I know there’s a shortage, but this is… It’s so important especially these kids with special needs. They don’t know how to advocate for themselves.”
This is the third family to report a sexual assault on a DeKalb County school bus. The other two came forward about the same alleged incident that happened on a special needs transportation bus. This bus happened on a regular education bus, according to the mother.
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Editors note: FOX 5 chose not to identify the schools or bus numbers related to the incidents to protect the identities of the underage victims.
In a statement sent to FOX 5, a DeKalb County spokesperson says, “The safety and well-being of our students remain our top priority as we work to gather all relevant information. We can confirm that the district is currently investigating a report regarding alleged inappropriate behavior on a regular education bus on October 22.”
