Driver Did Nothing As Student Was Beaten On School Bus

Impact

Authorities in Delaware Country, Penn. are investigating a brutal beating on a school bus that took place on Oct. 9. The bus driver did absolutely nothing to stop it. Police responded after viewing a video showing a student on the Delaware County Alternative High School bus hit 17-year-old Dylan Fonner in the face repeatedly.

The seven-minute grainy video belonged to one of the alleged 16-year-old offenders who posted it on Facebook. He also tagged the second offender and another 16-year-old girl who was with them on the bus. The three students recorded the incident as they picked on Fonner and his friend. One of them later punched Fonner, causing him a severe nose bleed.

The 34-year-old school bus driver, did not intervene or stop the bus when Fonner tried to get out. "When I saw the video, I was upset and furious all at the same time," Dylan's mother Jackee Fonner said. She said her son suffered from a swollen and cut lip, a bruised nose, and three chipped teeth.

According to Chester City Police Commissioner Joseph Bail, the district never reported the assault. "I have a problem with a grown adult not reporting it," Bail said. "He has a responsibility to inform his superiors and the police of a criminal act." Two students have since been charged in connection with the videotaped beating.

The assailants' behavior reflects a growing sadistic (not to mention stupid) fascination with taping violent behavior and posting it to Facebook. The bus driver's response (or lack thereof) to the attack, however, is inexcusable. Regardless whether or not it was in his job description, the driver had a civic responsibility to report the brutal assault against the students, if not stop the bus and assist the victims.

On the unit's website, the school is described as "a full-day special-education program ... designed to provide a new educational experience for students who have had significant difficulties in previous school placements."

On the unit's website, the school is described as "a full-day special-education program ... designed to provide a new educational experience for students who have had significant difficulties in previous school placements."