At a Glance
- A 79-year-old school bus aide in Florida was arrested and charged with child abuse after allegedly striking a 9-year-old nonverbal autistic boy.
- James Savage Jr. is accused of slapping the child’s left hand and smacking the left side of his face while the boy was harnessed to his bus seat.
- Surveillance footage released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office appears to show the incident.
- Why it matters: The case highlights the vulnerability of children with disabilities and the responsibility of those entrusted with their care.
A 79-year-old school bus aide in Florida has been arrested and charged with child abuse after authorities said he intentionally harmed a 9-year-old nonverbal autistic boy on a school bus.
According to a press release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to Cypress Creek Elementary School on Friday, Jan 9, following a report of suspected child abuse. The boy’s mother told deputies that her son may have been struck by his bus aide, identified as James Savage Jr.
A criminal affidavit reviewed by News Of Losangeles alleges that Savage “intentionally and willfully slapped the victim on [his] left hand” and then removed his baseball cap and “smacked the victim on the left side of [the] face.” The incident reportedly occurred while the child was secured in a harness attached to the bus seat.
The 9-year-old sustained “red linear marking to the top of his left hand,” according to the affidavit. The document further stated that “these acts were intentional, malicious, and done against the victim’s will,” noting that the child is nonverbal, autistic, and under the age of eighteen.
Surveillance footage from the school bus, included in the sheriff’s press release, appears to capture portions of the incident. In the video, a man is seen slapping the seat before moving toward the boy. Later, the man appears to strike the child on the face. The boy, whose face is blurred in the footage, is then seen grabbing the left side of his head. A subsequent clip shows the boy extending his arm toward the man before it is slapped away.
Savage was arrested and now faces one charge of child abuse.
“Any form of abuse against a child is completely unacceptable,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister in the press release. “Children deserve to feel safe at all times, especially in the care of those entrusted with their well-being. Protecting our most vulnerable is a responsibility we will never take lightly, and those who violate that trust will face the consequences.”
News Of Losangeles reached out to Hillsborough County Public Schools for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
