Broward School Workers Charged After Child Left On Bus  

CBS Miami
July 29, 2011

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) – A former Broward County School bus driver along with a school bus aide have been charged with child neglect. The pair is accused of leaving a special needs child on a school bus for hours.

Bus driver Thomas Mobley and school bus aide Sarah Brown face charges.

Police say the pair left Aiden Bramwell, a 6 year old autistic boy on a school bus for 4 hours on May 23.

Bramwell’s mother, Sophia, hopes the charges send a message.

“It’s just unbelievable and mind-boggling that this did occur and unfortunately people have to take responsibility for their actions,” Bramwell told CBS 4′s Carey Codd. “We just want to make sure this doesn’t happen to somebody else.”

Aiden was supposed to get off at Dania Elementary, where he had recently started school, but apparently fell asleep on the bus.

Pembroke Pines police say they have surveillance video showing Mobley and Brown’s actions once they returned the school bus to the depot.

“It shows when they arrive at the bus depot, Mobley and Brown exiting the bus without checking it,” said Captain Dan Rakofsky.

The boy was found hours later still strapped in his seat, without any air conditioning on in the bus.

Sophia Bramwell said her son has recovered from the physical damage but is suffering emotionally. She described him as “afraid” and unable to be left alone. Even with limited verbal skills, Sophia said Aiden does mention the incident.

“His thing now is, ‘Bad bus, bad bus,’ and he’s been doing that from the day we brought him home,” Bramwell said.

Sophia added that Aiden, who has returned to school, is in therapy and she wonders if she will ever know the full extent of what the incident did to her son.

“We don’t know what Aiden was thinking,” she said. “I’m sure it was horrific cause for anybody it’s a scary thing, especially for a child.”

Bramwell’s attorney, Anthony Russo, said the family wants to make sure a lesson is learned from this experience.

“”At this time, the family is exploring all of their legal options, including the possibility of filing a civil lawsuit against the responsible parties,” Russo said in a statement.

CBS4 News reported that School District bus drivers are supposed to put a flag on the back of the bus once its’ been checked and cleared of students. It’s not clear if Mobley or Brown followed that procedure.

Mobley and Brown are accused of failing to protect a boy who relied on them.

“We entrust the safety of our children — particularly special needs children to bus drivers and bus driver aides and the law expects them to exercise diligence,” Rakofsky said.

Neither Mobley nor Brown work for the school district any longer. They both resigned in June.