Georgia Parents Charged After Storming School Bus Amidst False Claims
Investigation reveals students were unruly, and air conditioning claims were unsubstantiated.
Three adults in Georgia are facing criminal charges after they allegedly forced their way onto a school bus to retrieve children, claiming the driver had locked them inside without air conditioning for an extended period. The Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office stated that the incident occurred on Monday afternoon as a substitute bus driver was dropping off students from Cottrell Elementary School.
According to the sheriff’s office, the substitute driver, in her first time on this particular route, instructed a student assigned to the second stop at Highland Trace Apartments to return to the bus after they exited early. As the driver attempted to manage the students' behavior and continue the route, parents approached the bus. Tensions escalated when parents spoke to the children through the windows, leading to further disruption.
Eventually, the students activated an emergency-release mechanism, and adults boarded the bus and removed the children, accusing the driver of holding them for over 30 minutes without air conditioning. However, an investigation by the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office concluded that these claims were unfounded.
Investigators determined that the children had been disruptive on the bus from the time it left school grounds, exhibiting behaviors such as yelling, fighting, moving between seats, and refusing instructions. These issues required intervention from school administrators on multiple occasions. Video evidence from inside the bus corroborated these findings.
The investigation revealed that the children were on the bus for approximately 14 to 15 minutes before the second driver arrived, not the 30-plus minutes alleged by the parents. There was no evidence to suggest the students were intentionally detained. Police also found that the air conditioning had been temporarily switched off only during a steep incline to maintain the bus's performance and was turned back on before the parents intervened.
"The investigation found no evidence establishing that the driver intentionally withheld air conditioning as punishment, shut off the bus engine while the children were being held at the apartment complex, or ignored a clearly observable medical emergency," the sheriff's office stated.
Police found no probable cause to charge the bus driver. Arrest warrants were issued on Wednesday for three adults involved in the incident. April Michelle Disspain faces charges of simple battery, disrupting the operation of a public-school bus, and disorderly conduct for allegedly forcing her way onto the bus, making physical contact with the driver, removing children, and using profanity.
Tony Ray Chastain was issued warrants for disrupting the operation of a public-school bus and disorderly conduct for allegedly boarding the bus, yelling at the driver, and demanding the release of children. Mariah Quinones faces a warrant for disrupting the operation of a public-school bus for boarding the bus and removing her child without authorization. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.