The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Littleton Public Schools and the Joshua School for possible civil rights violations after a district employee assaulted a boy with a disability during a bus ride home.
A letter, sent in mid-June to attorney Qusair Mohamedbhai, said the department was opening an investigation into whether the district and the school violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Mohamedbhai is representing three families after a bus monitor allegedly physically assaulted their children.
The Department of Justice declined to comment. The federal investigation is separate from the families’ civil lawsuit and a criminal case against the bus monitor, Mohamedbhai said.
A video, captured on a bus ride home from the autism-focused Joshua School on March 18, appeared to show paraprofessional Kiarra Jones elbowing and hitting a boy who was sitting next to her, as well as slamming his head against the bus window. The boy, who is unable to speak, according to his mother, appeared to be sitting calmly at the time of the assault.
A parent had noticed unexplained bruises on their child about two months earlier and raised concerns he could have gotten them on the bus ride. The district reported it reviewed security camera footage and found nothing out of the ordinary.
Littleton Public Schools fired Jones following the March incident. The Joshua School is independent, but contracts with Littleton Public Schools for transportation.
Englewood Police arrested Jones, 29, in April. She faces nine counts of third-degree assault on an at-risk person, which is a felony, as well as three counts of misdemeanor child abuse. Police said video also showed her abusing the boy and another child on three other occasions.
Mohamedbhai alleged Jones also assaulted a third child, who hasn’t been included in the criminal case. All three no longer attend the Joshua School and have experienced regression in their behavior following the attack, he said.
“It’s very difficult to treat a nonverbal autistic child with this level of trauma,” he said.
