Janika Woods says what should have been a routine ride home turned into a nightmare when her 9-year-old son, Uriah, was attacked by two older students on a Cincinnati school bus, leaving him with a bloody face, a black eye, and a broken nose. She blames the driver and the private contractor that runs the route for failing to protect him and says the company refused to give her a copy of the interior bus video. Woods has hired an attorney and says she plans to press charges.
Woods told reporters she was at the hospital for a scheduled procedure when bus dispatch called to report that her son had suddenly jumped off the bus and run off; he was out of sight for at least 30 minutes before being found. The incident, she said, happened near Mitchell and Kenard avenues in Spring Grove Village, and when Uriah was located, he had clearly visible facial injuries, as reported by WCPO.
Uriah attends Best Point Education & Behavioral Health in Madisonville, a program that provides specialized education and behavioral services for children in the region. Details about the school and its Madison Road campus appear on the organization’s website at Best Point Education & Behavioral Health.
Video Shows Attack; Bus Operator Says It Is Reviewing
Woods said she was allowed to review the bus company’s interior video, which she believes shows one older student move behind her son and strike him while there was no bus monitor on board, and the driver did not step in. The school referred questions to the bus contractor. First Student Transportation told the station that “the safety of the students we transport is our top priority” and that it is “working closely with our customer as part of the ongoing review,” but did not release a copy of the footage to the family, according to WCPO. Woods has retained an attorney and says she intends to pursue charges in connection with the incident.
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