A Colorado school bus driver faces 30 counts of child abuse after he braked hard in an apparent attempt to teach students on the bus a lesson, according to school and court records.
Brian Fitzgerald, 61, had recently started driving to the Douglas County School District when the incident occurred on the afternoon of March 1, according to school records obtained by the Colorado Springs ABC affiliate. THE MANAT.
In camera footage from inside the bus, released by the school district, the driver can be heard telling students at Castle Rock Elementary School to stay in their seats before saying, “You want to see how how dangerous is this?”
The students are then seen being thrown into the seats in front of them after the driver appeared to slam on the brakes while driving at around 9mph.
Footage of a Douglas County School District bus shows the driver crashing hard on March 1, 2023.
Douglas County School District
“Did you understand?” then says the driver. “That’s why you need to be in your seat. Turn around and sit tight.”
Shocked students can be heard saying “Why would I?” and wondering if they are okay. A student can be seen pulling out a cell phone and calling someone to let them know what happened, saying, “The bus driver braked and somebody got really hurt and they’re, like, bleeding in the cheek.”
Later, video from the bus camera captures the driver telling a parent that he is a substitute bus driver and that he “was trying to get them to their seats.”
“I stopped and scrubbed hard because they weren’t, they weren’t listening. So, I’m sorry if he got hurt,” she said.
Footage of a Douglas County School District bus shows the driver crashing hard on March 1, 2023.
Douglas County School District
A misdemeanor complaint was filed April 12 against Fitzgerald that includes 29 counts of child abuse without injury and one count of child abuse with bodily injury, online court records show. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance on May 12.
Fitzgerald declined to comment to ABC News at this time, citing the pending case.
In a letter to the school district dated March 1, obtained by KRDO, Fitzgerald apologized for his actions and expressed concern about what he described as “a repetitive historical pattern of mismanagement of students” at the bus he was driving that day.
“I sincerely regret my choice of actions today in my efforts to train students,” the letter said. “I am still 100% responsible for my actions in trying to educate and control the students on the bus. Being a new driver I did not make the best decision and if I could do it over again I would reconsider my decisions.”
Douglas County School District hired Fitzgerald as a bus driver in October 2022 and had completed his training days before the March 1 incident, according to internal school records reviewed by KRDO. He had previously driven only special education students before being asked to fill a route and drive a general education bus for the first time on March 1, records show. An investigation found he “checked the brakes” on students while approaching a stop sign, according to records obtained by KRDO.
A spokesperson for the Douglas County School District confirmed to ABC News that Fitzgerald is no longer with the school district. Thanks to parents and the principal who reported the incident, the school district was able to “take swift action and ensure that this driver is never allowed behind the wheel of a [district] bus,” spokeswoman Paula Hans said in a statement.
“The video is incredibly difficult to watch. Riding the bus to and from school should be a happy and enjoyable experience for students,” said Hans. “The behavior and actions of this bus driver are completely unacceptable.”
