Fatal Failure in Supervision: Georgia Bus Driver Charged After Child Beaten on Bus Route

During a routine morning bus route to Mattie Lively Elementary School in Statesboro, Georgia, a 7-year-old student was violently attacked by a group of seven other children—ranging in age from 5 to 14—while the bus was in motion along Highway 301 North.

The incident, which occurred on April 18, was captured on the bus’s internal camera and later reviewed by school authorities and the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office. The video footage showed the group of students initiating a physical assault on the younger child. Deputies confirmed that no effort was made by the school bus driver, 70-year-old Joey Edwin Jackson, to intervene or report the incident at the time.

Following the investigation, all seven students were charged with battery and suspended from school. The bus driver, Jackson, was arrested and charged with second-degree cruelty to children and failure to report child abuse. He is no longer employed by the Board of Education.

This incident illustrates the critical role of school bus drivers in ensuring student safety—not only by operating the vehicle but also by maintaining order and intervening in or reporting dangerous behavior. A failure to act in such moments can lead to significant harm and legal consequences. The case remains under investigation by the school district and law enforcement.

Source: Yahoo.com