April 28, 2011 in City

Bus driver accused of slapping 4-year-old

Jody Lawrence-Turner The Spokesman-Review

Tags:Angela BanksEast Valley School DistrictJonas PorathRay Stookey

An East Valley School District bus driver is accused of slapping one of his 4-year-old passengers.

The bus driver, who was not identified, was placed on paid administrative leave Thursday while the incident is investigated, said Ray Stookey, the district’s human resource director.

“It’s not okay,” said the boy’s mother Angela Banks. “It’s a horrible thing to happen to a kid.”

The boy, Jonas Porath, attends an Early Head Start program at Trent Elementary School. He rides the bus home with his 7-year-old sister, Alexis Porath. On Wednesday afternoon, Jonas was reportedly talking to friends and not sitting in his seat when the driver stopped the bus, walked up to Jonas, slapped him across the face and using a vulgar word, told the boy to sit down, Banks was told by several witnesses.

Alexis told her mother what happened when the children arrived home. Jonas followed holding his cheek; “it was still red, but he wasn’t crying,” Banks said.

“The bus driver smacked me,” Jonas told her.

The shaken mom contacted the school district and the Spokane Valley Police. But she’s not sure what to do at this point, she said, adding, “school is supposed be a safe place for kids.”

The district was shocked when they heard the allegation, Stookey said. The school board will have the ultimate decision on discipline against the driver.

The bus driver has been with the district for less than 10 years, Stookey said. The district has 39 drivers. Many of the buses are equipped with cameras, but there was not one on the bus Jonas was riding.

Banks said she has spoken with the district’s transportation director, who told her the driver has had two previous complaints. She was also told the investigation is expected to be completed by next week.

Meanwhile, Jonas is “saying he doesn’t even want to go to school now. I try to tell him it is okay, and he just hides his face in his coat.”

On Thursday, when Banks took her son to school, Jonas told his principal: “The bus is not safe.”

14 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

misjustice on April 28 at 6:18 p.m.
The mom says she doesn’t know what to do?
I say discipline the child for not obeying the bus driver when told to sit down. Slapping the child wasn’t the right thing to do but neither is telling the child they were right in not obeying the rules.
There’s more to the story than being reported.
msterner on April 28 at 6:29 p.m.
Hey, Gramma. It’s not the 1950s anymore. The kid is 4. Get a grip.
Diana on April 28 at 7:13 p.m.
There’s more to the story, gramma? What is it? Were you there? Do tell.
jassy on April 28 at 7:47 p.m.
Slapping and calling a 4-year-old a vulgar name is unacceptable in any way, shape or form. Two other complaints about this same driver….hm. The driver needs to be suspended at the very least in my opinion.
johnclarke on April 28 at 8:04 p.m.
Suspended ? How about fired.
lowtechmaster on April 28 at 8:46 p.m.
Fired? OK! But prosecuted for child abuse is more appropriate!! It takes a sick person to do what the driver apparently did!!
oneanddone on April 28 at 8:54 p.m.
Any big tough guy that slaps a 4 year old, which isn’t their kid, deserves a beat down. Doesn’t matter what the kid did or said, an adult NEVER slaps someone else’s kid - 4 or 14. Where’s the dad? This idiot mom should file an assault charge.
william1977 on April 28 at 9:20 p.m.
This ever happens to my child…ever…i don’t care who it is…. I’m going after them. How totally disgusting this whole situation is. The bus driver WILL be fired. If not- the school district will pay severely. SICK!
A person this unstable, and sick needs to be in a different line of work. The driver will of course say they were having a bad day, yeah well- now you are fired. Go mooch off the government for 99 weeks and go back to beating your dog in your mobile home.
tigerlilly50 on April 28 at 9:58 p.m.
NO Child of any age should be slapped in the face for anything, if disipline is needed then i fill the parents should be contacted to give the school permission for any disipline..the bus driver should have known better then to take it in her hands in disipline without contacting the school, or the parent..the bus driver could have gone up to the door and told the parent she was having behavior problems with the child and if the parent could talk with that child and disscuss the rules of the bus with this child again.. but to take in her own hands to smack a child in the face that isn’t yours is just wrong…i fill she needs to be fired and charges need to be brought on the bus driver for assult on a minor child under the age of 12..in some states this would be consider abused if a parent had slap their own child in the face and been arrested so why should this bus driver be any different….
PlanB on April 28 at 10:48 p.m.
There is more to the story: I can’t reveal my sources, but the driver is in training for a job with the SPD. If he passes this test (i.e. doesn’t result in a conviction), next steps are killing a disabled kid and shooting someone’s grandpa.
Dazzeetrader11 on April 28 at 10:59 p.m.
Doesn’t make a lot of sense. There must be more to this story. Adults just don’t jump up and slap a little one ( let alone issue an expletive) for no reason.
The driver won’t be fired. He’s in the “UNION”. They don’t get fired, they get counseled….and get a raise per the contract!!
hamrsrscarry on April 28 at 11:30 p.m.
According to Washington state law: “A mass transit vehicle operator may use adequate and reasonable physical force to maintain a safe and appropriate inner vehicular transport environment, including strikes, kicks, physical restraints, mechanical restrains, capscin based aerosols, and with the assistance of a commissioned transit law enforcement officer - electrical shock dispersal platforms (e.g. Tasers). The affirmative defense to charges against the mass transit vehicle operator or his agents/designees is a reasonable suspicion of possible or potential disruption to safety and/or timeliness of route management.”
So, I think what he did was legal considering the 4 year old was displaying an attitude conducive to an unsafe bus environment.
JBlim on April 29 at 5:51 a.m.
Dazee says “There must be more to this story. Adults just don’t jump up and slap a little one”
I know what you’re trying to say, the kid deserved it, right?
ange95 on April 29 at 9:09 a.m.
No kid should be slapped in their face, that”s called Child Abuse
The bus driver need”s to be fired.