School Bus Attendant Accused Of Abusing Autistic Child Pleads Not Guilty
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – An attorney for a Broward school bus attendant accused of abusing a 13-year-old boy with autism entered a not guilty plea in court Wednesday.
Darryl Blue was not in court for the hearing.
Blue was charged in November 2011 after the mother of the autistic child decided to press charges against him.
Blue can be seen on school bus surveillance video yanking on a strap connected to the boy's safety harness, essentially choking him. In the background there is the laughter of the bus' driver Chelsi Edwards.
The incident, which took place on October 9th, left the boy traumatized, according to his mother Bertis Paulino.
The Deerfield Beach mother said the harness that was supposed to protect her little boy was used to hurt him instead.
"This is device my son was wearing and this was around his neck like this," Paulino gestured with the harness. "He was pleading and howling like an animal in pain."
In the video, the boy can be heard saying, "Ow, you're hurting me."
Blue is charged with felony aggravated child abuse.
Blue has been reassigned to a job away from students. He is out of jail on $7,500 bond. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.
