Appalling video footage has surfaced, showing a Colorado woman, who assisted children with disabilities, viciously assaulting a special needs child, identified only as Dax, while he was restrained in a harness on a bus. Adding to the shock, the suspect has already been released from prison on bond.
According to a report from KUSA on Tuesday, Kiarra Jones, a bus aide with Littleton Public Schools, was captured on camera striking a nonverbal 10-year-old boy during the incident, which took place on March 18. The footage came to light as part of an investigation that was launched after a concerned parent noticed visible bruising on their child.
The students involved were being transported to The Joshua School on a bus provided by Littleton Public Schools, as per KUSA. Being nonverbal, they were unable to report the assault.
The video begins with Jones seated beside the young boy. Within moments, Jones elbows the child in the midsection before striking him in the face with her fist.
Jones finishes the assault by stomping on his feet.
Watch (Warning: the video below is disturbing and will make your blood boil):
JUST IN: Colorado paraprofessional Kiarra Jones arrested for assaulting children with disabilities.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 9, 2024
This makes my blood boil.
Jones worked as a bus aide to help children with autism and other disabilities travel between school and their homes.
Newly released footage shows… pic.twitter.com/A3skGDLHCk
KUSA reported that despite Jones’s arrest on April 4 in connection with the incident, she has already been released on bond.
Attorney Qusair Mohamedbhai, representing at least two families whose children were on the bus, shared the disturbing video with the media on Tuesday and criticized school districts for failing to safeguard special needs children.
“The abuses of special needs children continues to occur because school districts treat this community as a burden rather than a blessing,” he said. “School districts routinely fail to train and support those who work with special needs student populations.”
According to KUSA, while Jones’s initial arrest revealed troubling information, authorities are looking into additional abuses potentially involving her. An Englewood Police detective stated in an affidavit that he personally witnessed child abuse on February 13 and March 1.
In a statement on Tuesday, Englewood Police also disclosed that more than one student had been assaulted.
Littleton Public Schools issued a statement to families of the students on Tuesday afternoon, asserting that Jones was terminated on March 19, the day following the incident, emphasizing their zero tolerance for “this kind of behavior.”
This kind of behavior cannot be and is not tolerated. As parents, you trust us with the well-being of your children and you should never have to worry about them being harmed when they are in our care.
However, at a press conference held on Tuesday, families of the abused children said that they had been expressing concerns regarding their children’s injuries since last August, only to have Littleton Public Schools say that they found no issues.
According to CBS Colorado at least three of the children suffered fractured bones, a knocked-out tooth, deep bruises, and immeasurable heartache at the hands of Jones.
Now, the parents of three young students are gearing up to file a lawsuit against the school district. They argue that Littleton Public Schools (LPS) had been aware of their concerns regarding abuse for months but ignored them.
More from CBS Colorado:
Fractured bones, a knocked-out tooth, deep bruises, and immeasurable heartache. Those are just some of the injuries suffered by at least three students with autism allegedly at the hands of a Littleton Public Schools paraprofessional trusted to care for them.
The kids take a dedicated bus provided by the LPS transportation system to get to one of Colorado’s most highly regarded private schools for students with autism – The Joshua School. Yet, as some parents discovered and told CBS News Colorado – that bus was a place of torture.
“They took my trust and spit on it,” said Devin, the father of 10-year-old Dax, in a press conference, fighting back tears as described what happened to his son.
The families asked for their last names not to be shared, but Dax’s parents did want the video of their son to be made public – without blurring or redaction. Dax is non-verbal, so his facial reactions and body language are what speak for him, his parents said.
“It was a heavy decision to make to uncover it, but we cannot bring attention to this if we don’t look at it,” said Dax’s mother, Jess. “It’s ugly to look at, but it’s important to see how confused and afraid he was in that video. It just speaks to his vulnerability, and it speaks to the terror he had to endure while on that bus.”
That video was shared Tuesday morning, showing Dax aboard that LPS bus sitting next to paraprofessional Kiarra Jones. It was recorded March 18 and captures Jones, 28, physically abusing the 10-year-old boy – repeatedly elbowing him in the stomach, slapping his face, and stomping on his feet.
“How could someone that I trusted, someone that I was so friendly with do this to my little boy?” Jess said tearfully. “The torture and torment of my sweet boy could’ve been stopped.”
Jess said she noticed strange bumps and bruises on her son months ago, dating back to September 2023. She brought her concerns to staff at The Joshua School, who confirmed with her Dax did not suffer those injuries while in their care. Jess said she then brought her concerns to LPS, but they told her there was nothing to be concerned about. Then, Jess said, her son’s injuries became worse, and she demanded answers from the district.
“I notified LPS on March 18 and on March 19 got a phone call from Littleton police informing me that an LPS employee had severely abused my child,” she said. “I went to the LPS transportation building and was in utter shock.”
The video made her sick, she said, and that stomach-turning intensified when police said other children were also abused, allegedly at the hands of Jones as well.
“My son doesn’t have the ability to tell me when someone is hurting him,” said another child’s father. “My son doesn’t have the ability to tell me that he was forced to watch someone hurt his friends.”
Now, the parents of three young students are prepared to sue the school district. They say LPS knew about their abuse concerns for months and seemingly turned a blind eye.
Jones is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Arapahoe County Court on May 3 at 1:30 p.m., facing charges of crimes against at-risk juveniles, including third-degree assault and injury.
