Mom Audrey Billings was worried about her daughter being teased on her bus ride to and from her Dallas, Texas school. So after her daughter told her that other kids had been hurting her, she brought her concerns to the elementary school her daughter attends.
When she approached school officials about the matter, according to Cafe Mom, they gave her a “play-by-play” of what was happening on the school bus. But when she asked to review the camera footage herself, she was told the fee to do so would be $600.
Mom Pays $600 to See Security Footage From the School Bus Her Daughter Takes, Discovers She’s Being Relentlessly Bullied
Billings, genuinely concerned about her daughter’s wellbeing, chose to pay the fee in order to review the footage. While reviewing the video, CNN reports, Billings watched as her 5-year-old daughter was pushed, grabbed around the head, and poked with a pencil over 14 minutes.
The footage, taken in November, also revealed that while that was all happening, the bus driver did nothing to stop the behavior despite the young girl’s pleads for help. At least two students were involved in the suspected bullying.
The distraught mom told CNN, “I was devastated. I cried. He heard cries of help and he chooses to do nothing and it could have been stopped within the first two minutes of the attack.”
Billing’s daughter usually rides the bus about 45 minutes each way. While reviewing the tapes, Billings saw that the bullying didn’t begin until her daughter was about to get off the bus.
The incident has since prompted a review of the way the school board handles bullying. Robyn L. Harris, the Dallas Independent School District representative, told CNN that the school bus driver has since been removed from the route and that the “students were disciplined according to the Student Code of Conduct.”
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“Dallas ISD has taken steps to improve our transportation services to further ensure the safety of students. The district has provided additional training and monitoring. We are dedicated to ensuring a safe environment for all students and remain committed to meeting the expectations of our parents and community.”
Though the school has made some changes to the bus route, Billings made the decision to pull her daughter off the bus altogether.
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