Posted on 01/07/2006 4:43:32 AM PST by dsc
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. -- A mother accused of attacking a student on a Brevard County school bus now faces charges. Video cameras on the Sable Elementary school bus captured the entire incident.
The incident took place in mid-October, but first-degree misdemeanor battery charges against Coni Staton were filed Wednesday, one day before the video as released for the first time.
State attorneys said there's indisputable evidence the woman in the video broke the law. The video shows Coni Staton putting her arms and hands on a 6-year-old's neck. Staton is a foster mother who told deputies her child was being taunted by the kids on the school bus, including Trevina Crawford's son, Antonio.
"I don't even touch my son like that, so what gives her the God-given right to put her hands on my baby?" Crawford questioned.
Crawford was outraged when she saw Staton push her son back into his seat after Staton told investigators her foster daughter, in the back of the bus, was too afraid to get off.
On the video, Staton then appears to come forward and, to clear the way, takes the 6-year-old boy by the back of the neck and then puts her arm around it as she wrestles him into his bus seat.
"It made me want to jump through that video and do everything she did to my son," Crawford said.
Staton was arrested the next day, but first-degree misdemeanor battery charges weren't filed until Wednesday.
Crawford said the taunting my have happened, but is no excuse for what she saw on the video.
"He feels like he was wrong, but me and his counselors are working with him to let him know, regardless of what you do, nobody has the right to put their hands on you," she said.
Staton is scheduled to appear in court next month. The charges could carry a fine and a year in jail.
I know I am in the minority, but I empathize with the woman. I don't think she should be charged with anything. When no one else would do anything, she took action.
Where was the bus driver in all this?
There was physical contact, but certainly no choking as the article connotes. Just a lady putting a 6 year old out of the aisle into a seat. No injuries, no bruises, no scratches, no nothing... just hurt feelings.
Obviously it was poor judgement. But battery charges? What are you gonna do to a 6 year old who doesn't follow instructions to sit down? Ask extra nicely?
I wonder what the little boy did to that girl.
She put her hands on his neck and shoulders and put him in his seat? OMG - how could she??!?!?!?!
Pul-eeze! Somebody get these trashy women onto the Jerry Springer show, so they can beat each other up and get the attention they crave. And put armed police on the buses, if their kids are that bad at 6 years old, already.
"He feels like he was wrong, but me and his counselors are working with him to let him know, regardless of what you do, nobody has the right to put their hands on you," she said.
Be sure your son asserts this right when the police pick him up after his "taunting" mischief has turned into criminal behavior.
That'll be fine, honey. The police have Tasers and pistols - they don't need to put their hands on you.
My question is why wouldn't the boy follow the directions of the bus driver in the first place and stop teasing the girl, sit down in his seat, and keep his unruly yap shut? Why did the bus driver ever have to leave the driver's seat in the first place?
But the action she took was totally inappropriate and unlawful. Would you want someone essentailly strangleing your six year old?
Read post 4. I haven't seen the video, but others here have.
I think the mom on the video got on the bus at her daughter's bus stop. She was not the bus driver.
My response would have been to tell my bullying child that there are consequences for his actions and he would be punished by me. I would have not have filed charges but I would have spoken to Staton and explained that she was wrong and to come to me or proper authorities if she had a problem with my child.
My question is, where was the bus driver?
Staying in the driver's seat cowering in fear of a lawsuit. Rightly so I might add.
Watch the video... The racial overtones are the problem. You have a white woman physically disciplining a black boy. No sound. Before this is over we will be reading that it is a hate crime and JJ and the Rev will be demanding that they give this woman hard time.
I expect this woman will receive niggardly justice in this matter.
Never get between a momma bear and her cubs.
"where was the bus driver?"
Bus drivers probably do not want to get involved in these situations. Parents are bringing charges against them too for trying to contain unruly behavior. I'm sure, for the salaries and the responsibilities they are charged with, it's far easier to let the kids have a slugfest. More reasons to keep you children out of public schools.
"I know I am in the minority, but I empathize with the woman. I don't think she should be charged with anything. When no one else would do anything, she took action."
I was wondering if anyone would agree with me. You may not want to agree with this, though:
"I don't even touch my son like that, so what gives her the God-given right to put her hands on my baby?" Crawford questioned."
Well, you blithering idiot, perhaps if you did properly discipline your son, he wouldn't be tormenting little girls to the point that they're afraid to walk past them.
""It made me want to jump through that video and do everything she did to my son," Crawford said."
And your babbling makes me want to jump through the computer screen and do to you everything you should have been doing to correct your son's behavior. Somebody give me a hickory switch. Never mind; I have a belt.
"Crawford said the taunting my have happened, but is no excuse for what she saw on the video."
If, when I was a child, I had done *anything* to make a girl afraid of me, the nearest adult would have slapped my face around to the back of my head. Then, when I got home, there would have been more.
""He feels like he was wrong, but me and his counselors are working with him to let him know, regardless of what you do, nobody has the right to put their hands on you," she said."
Now that's enough to make a statue howl like a banshee.
Yes, butt munch, there are things that fully justify somebody smashing you right in the middle of your big, fat, stupid face. Kicking you when you're down may be a bit over the top, except in extreme cases, but this crap of ruling physical discipline and retribution completely out of bounds in all cases is one of the things that is driving a stake through America's heart.
I saw it. And I didn't see anything close to "strangling".
This was one pretty good sized gal. And one pretty small young boy. If she had been in a strangling mood, the kid would be toast.
She took action, and it was probably justified.
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