Delco school bus driver allegedly duct tapes 10-year-old to seat
MEDIA, Pa. (CBS) -- An Upper Darby school bus driver is accused of duct-taping a child on her bus. Officials say the 10-year-old has Down syndrome and this wasn't the first time it happened.
The charges stem from an incident that happened back on March 8 and officials tell CBS News Philadelphia the entire ordeal was recorded on the bus' security camera.
"This is just an outrage you cannot treat any child that way," Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said.
Upper Darby police were called to Hillcrest Elementary on March 8 for reports of a child assaulted by a bus driver.
Stollsteimer says the Hillcrest Elementary student, who has Down syndrome, was already sitting in a district-supplied safety harness when the woman driver began to put tape on him.
"The child was restrained in a harness on the bus, a special harness, this is a child with Down syndrome and was not doing anything to act up in any way," Stollsteimer said.
"Using duct tape on a child who was already fully restrained in the vehicle's harness was not only inexcusable, it was also dangerous," Stollsteimer said in a statement. "Had an accident occurred, this child would have been unable to free himself from the tape. There is simply no excuse for this conduct."
Officials say this is not the first time the driver identified as 54-year-old Juliet Pratt of Clifton Heights had used duct tape on the boy.
"She did not say why this particular time because the surveillance video from what I understand shows the child acting perfectly normal," Stollsteimer said. "So I'm not sure what was going through the driver's mind in that moment but whatever it was it was criminal."
According to the criminal complaint, Pratt allegedly used a seat belt cutter to cut the tape off when the bus arrived at school and threw it in the trash. It's unclear how officials learned of the incident.
Upper Darby School District officials tell CBS News Philadelphia they are cooperating with the investigation, adding "This is a personnel matter; the individual is no longer driving buses at this time."
"Wow, that's unbelievable," Malik Fisher said. "I can't even believe that is happening in our school district."
Many parents we spoke to were shaken by what they described as a breach of trust.
"It's so scary. I have a little one myself, so I would be devastated," Jasmine Smith said. "Every time you go to work, you're worrying about your kids and making sure they are kept with safe people and if they're not it's heartbreaking."
Pratt has been arrested and charged with unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a child and assault.
