Middle GA family challenges Bibb County Schools over alleged injuries by bus aide

The family of a former Bibb County School District student who claimed a school bus aide injured their child continues to seek answers from the Georgia Office of Administrative Hearings and other authorities.

Jane Knight, mother of a former Springdale Elementary third grader, claimed a special-needs bus aide physically harmed her nonverbal son on March 11, 2025, while he was being transported home from school.

Attorney April Neal filed a due process complaint with the Georgia Department of Education on the family’s behalf in November 2025.

Two due process hearings before the Georgia Office of Administrative Hearings have taken place this year since the family initially raised concerns , though no decision has been issued yet.

“This was not a misunderstanding or minor altercation — this was a vicious act of violence against a defenseless child with limited ability to communicate the horror he experienced,” the complaint read.

The complaint also alleged that the then-8-year-old student’s IEP, or Individualized Education Program, was not fully implemented. He was denied student-approved support on end of year tests and his nonverbal deficits were not accounted for, the complaint said. .

The family said they are seeking justice through public accountability, calling for recognition of the violation of the child’d rights, consequences for those responsible and changes to district policies to ensure “this never happens to another special-needs child.”

“Do these bus drivers and bus assistants have any kind of training before they get on a bus to look after our children?” Donna Nye, the student’s grandmother, told The Telegraph in August 2025. “I don’t think so because no training was shown. ”

An administrative judge will determine whether the district has violated the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as alleged in the due process complaint.

The timing of a decision varies by case and is governed by IDEA and federal regulations, which allow extensions for several reasons, Jessica Wang, general counsel of OSAH said.

Knight said that if the current judge does not rule in her son’s favor, the family intends to appeal.

On Monday, Bibb County Schools said the bus aide’s employment with the district ended on March 17, 2025. No additional information was provided.

What happened on the bus?

While waiting at the bus stop for her son, Knight said she heard shouting as the doors opened, but thought it was normal student commotion. Her son walked off the bus crying, accompanied by a BCSD bus aide.

She said she saw the aide’s hand on the back of her son’s neck.

“’Well, he called me doo-doo head today,’” Knight recalled the bus aide saying.

Knight said she initially scolded her son for the name-calling and had him apologize. But moments later, as she drove away, he began sobbing again.

“He said, ‘(the aide) hurt my neck,’” she told The Telegraph in September 2025. When she stopped the car and turned around, she saw red marks and blood on his neck.

Knight said she requested bus footage of the incident on the same day, but the district delayed access before allowing her family to review it weeks later. She said the footage appeared to show the aide grabbing her son by the neck and throwing him “like a rag doll.”

“It was far worse than what I had even thought after initially knowing something was wrong,” Knight said.

The Telegraph contacted Bibb County Schools on Aug. 18, 2025, seeking a response to the incident, including whether officials initiated an internal investigation and if any personnel actions had been taken.

At the time, the district said the information would require an open records request to review any files and pertinent information that could be released publicly since the incident happened in March 2025.

Nye said the situation has taken a mental toll on her grandson, who at one point began to panic when he saw anyone who looked similar to the bus aide.

“The after effects of that is that (he) had to see a psychiatrist because he did not know how to process that,” Nye said. “Any time he met a man that looked similar to (the bus aide), he would have a screaming meltdown.”

The family eventually moved to a different county and enrolled the student in a different school district, where he is now thriving academically, Knight said.

“It was grievous,” Nye said. “It was disturbing, and it’s still upsetting to know that nobody does anything to protect the rest of the kids. I’ll stay angry about it.”

Request for state, local leaders to get involved

Neal requested external investigations from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Macon-Bibb District Attorney Anita Howard around August 13, 2025, according to records she provided.

The GBI said it cannot get involved until the district attorney’s office refers a case, Neal said. As of Tuesday, she said she has not heard anything from Howard about the request for a criminal review or charging decision.

“It’s like our special needs kids, or our kids, period, just aren’t a priority, and they’re not safe in the Bibb County school system, in my opinion,” Neal said.

The Telegraph reached out to Howard’s office on Monday and did not receive a response before publication.

In 2025, the Department of Family & Children Services substantiated the alleged physical abuse, meaning the agency found sufficient evidence to support the claim under state child welfare standards, according to records shared by the family.

Ellen Brown, communications director for the Georgia Department of Human Services, said the agency couldn’t comment because of privacy laws.

“As such, we are unable to comment on the specifics of any reported abuse or neglect cases. We take seriously every report that might be made to the agency and work with law enforcement when appropriate to ensure the safety of Georgia’s children,” Brown said in an email Monday.

This story was originally published February 10, 2026 at 1:46 PM.