A former Colorado school bus driver is facing 30 child abuse charges after authorities said he intentionally slammed the brakes to "teach the kids a lesson."
Brian Fitzgerald, 61, was driving 30 Castle Rock Elementary students home on March 1 when he made a rough break check, causing the children's faces to slam against the seats in front of him, as shown in footage obtained by KRDO. The kids, ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade,
A transcript of the footage reveals Fitzgerald saying, "Did you get that? That's why you need to be in your seat. Turn around and sit down properly... If you guys can't do that you will get written up. Do you get that?"
One of the children reportedly got hurt and started bleeding on the cheek, while a fourth-grade boy who was recovering from a concussion hit his head.
"Um, the bus driver hit the brakes, and somebody got hurt so badly and is like bleeding on the cheek. We tell the bus driver, but he no care," a girl who rode the bus that day told her parents, according to reporters. She wasn't the only student who told their parents about the brake check incident, and as a result, the Douglas County School District was alerted about Fitzgerald's actions.
Lauren Thomason, the mother of the fourth-grade boy, told reporters her son ran into the house "sobbing and shaking" after the incident. She immediately called the Douglas County School District Transportation Department requesting the footage from inside the bus.
“He had slammed his head into the seat back in front of him. Another buddy had slammed his head into the window. So his neck and his head were hurting,” Thomason said.
According to a report, the bus driver told Douglas County School District that while he was remorseful for his actions, he did it to "educate" and "control the students" riding the bus. That evening following the brake check incident, Fitzgerald wrote a letter to school officials stating he was worried about "a historical pattern of improper student management" on the bus.
Internal school records reviewed by reporters showed that Fitzgerald was hired in October 2022 and that was his first time driving a general education bus. Reports also said he was "not experienced in dealing with difficult students."
Fitzgerald is now charged with 30 misdemeanor counts of child abuse. One of the charges is child abuse with bodily injury, which carries a maximum sentence of 365 days in jail. He's due back in court in May.
A spokesperson for the Douglas County School District addressed the situation in a statement sent to KRDO:
“Riding a bus to and from school should be a happy, enjoyable experience for students. The behavior and actions of this bus driver are completely unacceptable. We are so grateful to the parents and the principal who reported this incident, allowing us to take swift action and ensure this driver was never again allowed behind the wheel of a DCSD bus.”