School bus driver arrested after being accused of slapping and choking middle school student
Footage has been captured showing the shocking moment that a school bus driver allegedly choked a student.
The camera footage filmed by another student showed the driver, identified as Miles Jenkins, appearing to slap and choke a child while surrounding kids screamed for him to 'get off him'.
The driver, who went on to resign from his role as bus contractor, has since been charged with simple battery after the altercation.
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The video footage didn’t manage to get the beginning or the end of the incident so it’s still unclear as to what triggered it.
In the clip, the student can be seen getting up to try and leave his seat until the driver appears to push him back and slap him over the head.
In response, the child pushed him back, leading to the driver to allegedly pin him against the bus window and choke him.
First Student, who employed Jenkins, is one of the largest school bus contractors in the US, with drivers reportedly transporting 2.5 million students every day, according to The Daily Mail.
The company issued a statement to WVUE, saying: "At First Student, we take our responsibility to provide a safe environment on our school buses very seriously.
"The interaction the driver had with the student was unacceptable.
"He has resigned. Given this is an active investigation, we are unable to comment further."
First Student then issued an updated statement to the outlet on Wednesday (1 November), adding: "At First Student, we invest heavily in the comprehensive training and ongoing development of our drivers.
"They receive an average of 40 hours of training before operating a bus, which is more than double the federal requirement. Drivers also go through regular enhancement training during their tenure with the company.
"We monitor driver performance daily and conduct annual evaluations.”
Jefferson Parish Schools, the district that hired the bus company, also went on to issue their own statement, which read: “We are aware of an incident that occurred on Oct. 30 on the campus of Marrero Middle School between a First Student bus driver and a student.
“The bus driver is not a Jefferson Parish Schools employee. The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority, and JP Schools will continue to facilitate a safe learning environment for all students and employees.
"We are cooperating with JPSO to ensure a thorough investigation is conducted.”
In another statement, Jefferson Parish School's spokesperson, Kaela Lewis, said that bus drivers undergo 'state and federal background checks' as well as 'training before, and during, the period that they transport our students'.
Adding: "The district provides thorough instructions to drivers in compliance with state and federal safety and operations guidelines and regulation.
"Bus drivers for our transportation vendor, First Student, are required to know and abide by our district’s policies and procedures.
"To the extent that drivers fail to follow those policies and procedures, they are not fulfilling the requirements of their job."
According to the school district, any reports of students misbehaving are reported through office referral and 'appropriate disciplinary actions are taken' if needed.
Subsequently, Jenkins was released on a $500 bond, the New York Post reports.
Though, in a twist, nola.com said that Jenkins didn't have to pay this fee due to crowing in the jail.
UNILAD has contacted Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office for further comment.
Britt Jones