CARROLLTON, Va. — Jeanine Scherrer reached out to News 3 after she says her son, Trevor, who has autism, Down syndrome, and is non-verbal, was yelled at on his school bus. Scherrer shared video with News 3 in which you can't see who is speaking, but you can hear someone repeatedly telling Trevor to get off the bus.
Since that story aired, Scherrer says she sat down with Isle of Wight County Schools Deputy Superintendent of Operations, Dr. Christopher Coleman. During that meeting, she says she made a shocking discovery after being shown bus surveillance footage from Monday, March 2.
"There was actual evidence of physical abuse on my son," Scherrer said.
Scherrer says the video appears to show a bus attendant — not the driver — striking Trevor on the backside while trying to get him off the bus. According to Scherrer, Trevor had dropped his playing cards and tried to pick them up.
"They're yelling at him, 'No! No! Get off the bus.' He gets up and he moves out to the aisle and as he does that he turns around to pick up his cards and the assistant says, 'No, get going,' and she smacks him three times and at least on the bottom, his backside," Scherrer said.
WTKR News 3 has submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for that bus video and is waiting to hear back.
Scherrer says her next step is holding someone accountable.
"I feel like charges are going to need to be brought up with the bus attendant and I'm really thinking about with the transportation coordinator because like I said this is something that's been going on, this could've been avoided," Scherrer said.
Scherrer says she is also working to set up a meeting with the district's transportation coordinator. In the meantime, she says other parents have reached out claiming similar experiences involving the same bus.
"Any children whether they have special needs or not we're sensitive to them. But for someone who doesn't have a voice of their own, we have to be their voice and I don't want this to happen to anybody, regardless on if they have a disability or not," Scherrer said.
I reached out to the district Friday asking if the bus driver and attendant are still employed. We are still waiting to hear back.
