A Milwaukee school paraprofessional accused of slapping an 11-year-old student on a yellow bus outside Grantosa Drive School has resolved his criminal case with a no-contest plea, a short jail term that was credited as time served, and a fine, according to court records. William Houghton had originally been charged with physically abusing a child after the September 2025 incident, an allegation that immediately raised alarms about how Milwaukee Public Schools trains and oversees staff who work with some of its most vulnerable students.
Houghton appeared in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Feb. 5, 2026, and entered a no-contest plea to misdemeanor disorderly conduct. The judge fined him $500 and imposed a three-day term at the House of Correction, which was credited as time already served, according to FOX6 News Milwaukee. Prosecutors had initially filed a single count of physical abuse of a child after the bus confrontation in September, court records state.
Video shows struggle on bus, complaint says
According to the criminal complaint and local coverage of the case, surveillance video from the school bus allegedly shows Houghton trying to restrain the child during a struggle over being buckled in. The footage reportedly captures him holding the student's arms and then slapping the child, who was seated in a wheelchair, as staff attempted to secure the harness.
The complaint says the bus driver later took the child home, where the student's mother noticed a mark on the side of the child's face and contacted authorities. CBS58 reported details from the complaint and noted that Milwaukee Public Schools removed Houghton from the school while investigators reviewed the video.
Student described as special needs; school notified families
The criminal complaint identifies the student as autistic, non-verbal and a wheelchair user, details that have amplified concern among families and disability advocates following coverage of the case. Those descriptions came from the charging document, which local outlets reviewed after the incident.
FOX6 News Milwaukee also published a copy of a letter that Principal Thaddeaus Hilliard sent home to Grantosa Drive School families. In it, he told parents that the district had contacted Milwaukee police and that the staff member was no longer working at the school while the investigation played out. The Grantosa Drive School page on the district site lists Hilliard as principal and gives the campus address as 4850 N. 82nd Street, according to Milwaukee Public Schools.
Part of a string of similar cases in MPS
The Houghton case is landing at a tense moment for Milwaukee Public Schools, which has faced a series of allegations involving staff interactions with students who have disabilities. Over the past year, several incidents have surfaced that parents say have shaken their trust in the system.
In one high-profile November 2025 case at Riverside University High School, a paraprofessional was charged after video allegedly showed him slapping an 18-year-old student with cerebral palsy while struggling to put on her shoes. Law&Crime and local outlets reported that the episode left the student fearful of returning to class, fueling broader questions about whether district training and oversight are keeping pace with student needs.
Legal implications
Houghton’s conviction is for misdemeanor disorderly conduct, not the original child-abuse charge. Wisconsin classifies disorderly conduct as a Class B misdemeanor that can carry up to 90 days in county jail and financial penalties, according to state statute summaries. Wisconsin statute §947.01 outlines the potential penalties for the offense.
Legal analysts note that even a misdemeanor on a record can have lasting consequences, especially for anyone seeking or holding jobs that involve children or people with disabilities, since many employers run background checks. At the same time, a plea that results in time served and a modest fine is unlikely to silence concerns from families who want to know how staff ended up in these situations to begin with.
The district has said it will keep reviewing Houghton’s employment status and conduct its own personnel process now that the criminal case has wrapped up, according to local coverage of the case by CBS58.
