ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — Now to a follow-up to an alleged case of child abuse on a St. Lucie County school bus.
We’re now learning the family of an elementary student intends to sue St. Lucie Public Schools after police charged a bus aide with forcefully shaking that student.
The encounter was captured on video.
Warning: Video below may be tough to watch.
Port St. Lucie police said a bus aide for Northport K-8 School shook and screamed at the 9-year-old special needs student.
The incident happened on March 13 and police arrested 43-year-old Aviesar Pinillos on child abuse charges last week, when WPTV first reported on it and spoke to residents about the issue. Investigators said Pinillos became upset when the child would not sit down in her seat.
We spoke with the attorney for the child’s family who said he’s alerted the district of the family’s intent to sue for negligence. The child is doing okay but the attorney said the family is having to navigate through a traumatic experience.
WATCH BELOW: WPTV's Tyler Hatfield speaks to residents about the alleged abuse
"Their concern is on their child, but also for the other children in the community, as is my concern," Steven Simon, the family’s attorney, said. "I want to make sure this doesn’t happen again, and I think awareness is a huge part of this."
A spokesperson with St. Lucie Public Schools said Pinillos has been reassigned temporary duties away from students, pending the outcome of an internal investigation
The district added Pinillos had no disciplinary issues prior to this case.
