Police: No charges for driver after Green Bay girl with special needs is bitten on bus
A Green Bay girl with special needs suffered severe bruising on her arm, after being bitten multiple times on Monday by another student on the school bus. Now, her parents are speaking out.
Ten-year-old Lillian Waldron goes to Langlade Elementary School. Her mom says she's developmentally delayed, has mannerisms of a 2-year-old and cannot speak.
Lilly's parents say when she got off the bus, she was crying and holding on to her arm. Lilly was inconsolable, so her mom wanted to calm her down by giving her a bath.
"She loves baths and that's soothing to her, so I brought her home, and I was getting her ready for the bath and I took her sweatshirt off and that's when I noticed the major bruising on her upper arm," saidi Lynn Waldron-Moehle, Lillian’s mom.
A Lamers Bus Lines representative says they have video recording on all Green Bay school buses, and bus drivers are allowed to step in if an altercation happens.
Lilly's dad says she was in an all-special needs bus.
"The seat was right behind the bus driver and he couldn't hear anything going on or see anything? Come on," said Chad Waldron, Lillian’s dad.
"She can't tell them to stop, she couldn't get away, because she's in a five-point harness car seat. She just had to sit there and take it and the bus driver wasn't stopping," said Lynn.
Lynn says the school principal was able to watch the video from the bus.
"He said it was gruesome and horrifying to look at, and that the girl was brutally biting my daughter's arm," Lynn says.
In a statement, school district Superintendent Michelle Langenfeld writes, "Several administrators and myself immediately reached out to the family and met with them to address their concerns and provide supports to ensure the physical and emotional well-being of our student."
A spokesperson for the Green Bay Area Public School District says they have requested the driver no longer operate on the district's routes.
Waldron says this could have been avoided had there been an adult watching over the kids.
"If you can't keep an eye on these kids and they are special needs, you need to bring somebody in you know to be watching if the bus driver can't do it," said Chad Waldron.
"I would like to see this not ever happen to another child,” said Lynn. “No other child needs to go through what Lilly went through."
The Waldrons say the student who allegedly bit Lilly is no longer going to Langlade Elementary.
Lilly's parents say this isn't the first bad experience Lilly’s had on the bus. Last year they believe their daughter was completely undressed on the bus by a boy and touched inappropriately. Starting Thursday, Lilly will be riding in a van alone with two adults to and from school. Her parents say for now it's the only solution where Lilly can stay safe.
The school district says it is continuing to investigate and will look at bus procedures so this won't happen again.
“The District is conducting an investigation into the situation and will be working with the bus company to ensure appropriate processes and procedures are in place to prevent this from occurring in the future,” said Langenfeld in a statement.
The Waldrons say they plan on talking to a lawyer in Madison about this incident.
Green Bay Police say no criminal charges will be filed against the bus driver. The case is still under investigation.
Action 2 News has received an outpouring of messages and inquiries about sending cards to Lillian. The Waldrons ask to send cards or letters for Lillian to:
Lillian Waldron
P.O. Box 11441
Green Bay, WI 54307
