LITTLETON, CO – A school bus aide from Littleton Public Schools, who was captured on video assaulting a nonverbal student, has been dismissed and taken into custody. The mother of the child has engaged a law firm to seek accountability from the school district.
The mother of the 10-year-old victim expressed her outrage at a press conference held on Tuesday. Jessica Vestal, the mother, criticized the school district for failing to protect her son from such a preventable incident.
Kiarra Monte Laron Jones, 29, the former paraprofessional with Littleton Public Schools, is facing a felony charge of third-degree assault against an at-risk person, according to court records. Jones was reportedly seen in the video assaulting the vulnerable student in an inappropriate manner. The investigation, initially handled by the Littleton Police Department, was later transferred to the Englewood Police Department, where the alleged assault took place.
Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC, a law firm, announced that three families from Littleton Public Schools had hired them following the alleged abuse on the school bus. The firm alleges that the bus aide physically and mentally abused children with severe autism and nonverbal communication abilities.
The law firm claims that the abuse had been ongoing for months, with evidence dating back to September 2023. The affidavit also mentions footage of three assaults that took place in February and March.
Vestal, the boy’s mother, believes that the repeated assaults could have been avoided if the bus footage was regularly audited. She expressed her belief that the torment her son endured could have been stopped.
Parents have praised The Joshua School, which serves children with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities, for its services. However, they have expressed concerns about the bus rides to and from school, which are provided by Littleton Public Schools.
The law firm alleges that there were signs of abuse such as shifts in behavior, physical injuries, unexplained scratches, bruises, a lost tooth, a broken toe, a black eye, and other deep bruises on their bodies and feet. Despite these signs, the firm claims that Littleton Public Schools reviewed a video from one day on the bus and concluded there was no cause for concern.
The law firm received a cell phone recording of surveillance video taken from inside the bus on March 18. The video shows a woman, identified by the law firm, repeatedly hitting, punching, and stomping on a 10-year-old boy.
Parents of two other children also came forward, alleging that their nonverbal children with autism had been physically abused too. They claim they had been asking for an investigation for months, but little was done to stop the abuse.
Littleton Public Schools confirmed in a letter to The Joshua School community that Jones was hired in August and terminated on March 19, the day the district learned about the accusations. The district emphasized that such behavior is not tolerated.
The law firm argues that the entire district failed to protect the students on the bus and is calling for the Colorado legislature to create a law ensuring safety. They want Littleton Public Schools to be held accountable for what happened but have not yet filed a lawsuit.