Tennessee Daycare Worker Claims She Skipped Bus Check Because She Was 'Hot'

A Tennessee daycare worker charged in the death of a 6-year-old girl told authorities she skipped a required vehicle check on the day the child died in a scorching bus because "she was hot," according to a police report.

Tametria Norry, 49, the bus driver for Kid University in Cordova, was arrested on September 11 alongside assistant director Sabrina Powe, 43, and daycare assistant Amilya Hardin, 21. All three are charged with aggravated child neglect, criminally negligent homicide, and destruction of and tampering with governmental records. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Winter Jones, a non-verbal autistic child, was found inside a hot school bus parked outside the daycare on August 13 around 3:20 p.m. Her internal temperature was 109 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of her death. The outside temperature that day was 95 degrees Fahrenheit with a heat index of 103 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service.

Prosecutors stated that Norry incorrectly logged that Winter had been dropped off, when in reality, she never left the school bus. Powe and Hardin also admitted to not checking the bus, despite logging that they did, the report indicated.

An inspector documented that "the driver and the reviewers admitted [they] did not conduct a walk-through to confirm all children were off the bus." Norry's statement that she skipped the check because she was hot was part of this admission.

Winter was transported to a local hospital in critical condition and later died. Her father, Bryan Jones, described her death as "senseless" and the result of "absolute negligence" by those responsible for her care. He expressed his grief over the loss of future milestones, stating, "As a father, I won't be able to walk her down the aisle. I won't become a grandfather. I can't watch Winter progress even though she was diagnosed with autism."

Winter's mother, Nakia Cloman, has also spoken out, urging for changes to prevent similar tragedies. "I don't want another child to become a headline before people decide that something needs to change," she said.

Kid University permanently closed and surrendered its license the day after Winter's death. An inspection found five violations related to non-compliance with state regulations regarding transportation.

The family and their attorneys have been vocal in their pursuit of justice for Winter. Bryan Jones posted on Facebook, "Ain’t letting up. JUSTICE FOR WINTER."

It remains unclear if the daycare's owner, Raven Marshall, is also under investigation. Attempts to reach Kid University for comment were unanswered.